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US arrests afghan heroin baron bashir noorzai { April 25 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4483469.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4483469.stm Last Updated: Monday, 25 April, 2005, 17:59 GMT 18:59 UK US arrests Afghan 'heroin baron' By Jeremy Cooke BBC News, New York An Afghan man regarded by the US as one of the world's most wanted heroin traffickers has been arrested, American officials have announced. Federal prosecutors say the arrest of Bashir Noorzai on US territory will be a severe blow to the Afghan drug trade. A US federal indictment alleges Mr Noorzai has been at the centre of a multi-million dollar heroin operation. He is expected to appear in a federal court charged with conspiring to import heroin worth $50m (£26m). 'Militant financier' Last year, US President George Bush named Mr Noorzai as one of the world's most wanted drug traffickers. Prosecutors allege that since 1990, he has been at the centre of a multi-million dollar heroin operation which controls poppy fields, drug laboratories and a trafficking operation based in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US attorney, David Kelly, said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had become aware that Mr Noorzai was planning to come to America and that it had "seized the opportunity and the individual". The US authorities are giving no further details of the arrest. The Americans clearly regard this as a major breakthrough in their war on illegal drugs. But they also believe that the arrest may have wider implications, claiming that Mr Noorzai had close links with the Taleban and had used drug money to supply Islamic militants with arms and explosives.

Afghan drug trade Afghan heroin is flooding to the united states { January 1 2007 } Afghan military tied to drug trade { September 4 2003 } Afghan opium 2005 threat to world stability Afghan poppies sprout again { November 10 2003 } Afghan poppy profits going to taliban { April 2007 } Afghanistan soaring drug trade hits home { March 13 2008 } Afghistan opium 2007 reaches record levels { March 5 2007 } Britain losing afghan opium war Bumper year for afghan poppies { July 24 2003 } Fatal clash with tribes poppies { May 2 2003 } General sees drugs link with alqaeda Karzai blames west for afghan poppies { May 23 2005 } Massive post war Officials say poppies undermine democracy { April 2 2004 } Opium crop prices soar Opium dealers blamed for attack on afghan vp Opium freedom Opium funding 40perc of taliban { October 18 2007 } Opium harvest record level in afghanistan { September 3 2006 } Opium msnbc Poppies poised comback { November 23 2001 } Poppy farms rebound { November 23 2001 } Poppy planting Terror link to booming afghan drugs trade { April 3 2004 } Un warns opium production spreading like cancer { October 30 2003 } US arrests afghan heroin baron bashir noorzai { April 25 2005 } Us soldiers becoming drug addicts US soldiers in afghanistan using heroin Files Listed: 29

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