A federal court in the United States has handed down a three-decade prison sentence to an Afghan man convicted of orchestrating a scheme to smuggle massive amounts of heroin into the country and channel the profits to the Taliban.
The individual, identified as Haji Abdul Satar Abdul Manaf, was found guilty by a jury in August 2024 after a two-week trial. Authorities said he attempted to bring the narcotics into New York to generate funding for designated terrorist groups.
Court documents revealed that the operation began in January 2018, involving the importation of large heroin shipments into the U.S. The proceeds were then funneled to his contacts within the Taliban. His activities also provided financial backing to the Haqqani Network, a U.S.-designated militant faction operating in eastern Afghanistan.
Prosecutors stated that Manaf contributed thousands of dollars to support Taliban operations in Afghanistan, including efforts against coalition forces. To facilitate the trafficking, he communicated with associates through in-person meetings, phone calls, and electronic messages. However, at least five of his business partners were actually undercover agents or confidential sources working for the Drug Enforcement Administration.
In August 2018, he sold several kilograms of heroin to an undercover DEA officer, who claimed the drugs would be distributed on New York streets. Manaf later promised that future deliveries would be escorted by heavily armed Taliban fighters. Following this initial transaction, the agent negotiated multiple multi-ton heroin shipments intended for the U.S.
After his arrest and extradition, Manaf allegedly instructed family members in Afghanistan to kidnap and neutralize a DEA source who could testify against him. Recorded calls from early 2019 showed him directing his brothers to detain the individual and hand him over to a security chief for interrogation.
Alongside the prison term, Manaf will serve five years of supervised release and must forfeit all proceeds from his trafficking activities.