Johannesburg – The fugitive Gupta brothers have been linked to a drug smuggling ring with links to the UK that operated from Kenya and exported heroin to the United States of America (U.S.A.).
The Nation, in Kenya, reports that the U.S.A. Justice Department had its radar on a suspected drug smuggling ring comprising brothers Baktash Akasha Abdalla and Ibrahim Akasha Abdalla, Bollywood star Mamta Kulkarni and her husband Vicky Goswami as well as one Ghulam Hussein.
The Nation reports that it has established that Goswami, an alleged Indian drug lord, has been arrested and extradited to the U.S.A. where he has turned state witness.
In court papers, Goswami details the involvement of 63-year-old Asif Hafeez in drug smuggling.
Goswami, who has not been charged with any crime by U.S.A. authorities, also links Hafeez to the Gupta family in a matter revolving around money laundering.
Hafeez was recently extradited from the UK to the U.S.A. where he remains incarcerated. He faces drug smuggling-related charges.
Hafeez allegedly worked with the Akasha brothers who were based in Kenya from where the drugs were shipped to the U.S.A.
Five years ago, Baktash Akasha who ran the notorious Kenyan crime cartel called “Akasha Organisation”, and his younger brother Ibrahim Akasha, both pleaded guilty before U.S.A. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan to seven criminal charges, including distribution of heroin and methamphetamine and conspiracy to import the drugs.
On January 10, 2020, Baktash and Ibrahim were sentenced to 23 and 25 years in jail respectively, by Judge Marrero in the Manhattan Federal Court.
However, the Akasha brothers have refused to testify against Hafeez, instead maintaining that he had no drug dealings with them.
Hafeez, a Pakistan national, had been incarcerated on drug dealing charges at the Belmarsh Prison in the UK, where he was fighting an extradition request by the U.S.A. government on class A drugs import charges since 2017.
Hafeez was eventually extradited to the U.S.A. last month.
His claims that he was an informer for the U.S.A. Justice Department have since been rejected.
Hafeez is now expected to shed light on Kenya and South Africa’s drug trade and its key players as he allegedly worked closely with the Akasha brothers.
The Bulrushes could not reach the fugitive Gupta brothers – Atul and Rajesh for comment.
The brothers are wanted in South Africa for state capture-related crimes.
The elusive pair – Atul and Rajesh – recently evaded attempts to extradite them from the United Arab Emirates to South Africa.
*Original article: Asif Hafeez, suspect in Akasha drugs case, extradited to the US | Nation
