Father, Son Convicted in Drug Smuggling Case
A federal judge in Greenbelt handed down lengthy prison sentences to a father and son from Pakistan who spearheaded an international drug trafficking operation responsible for large shipments of unusually pure heroin into Maryland.
The drug conspiracy case took an unexpected turn when federal prosecutors attempted to present new accusations about possible terrorism involvement by Muzaffar Khan Afridi, 59, and Alamdar Khan Afridi, 29, alleging that they funded illegal shipments of radioactive material and religious schools linked to the Taliban.
Defense attorneys immediately objected. “It’s almost like a backdoor prosecution,” Assistant Public Defender John Chamble told the judge.
U.S. District Judge Alexander Williams Jr. agreed, striking references to terrorism from the record. Williams sentenced Muzaffar Afridi to life in prison and his son to 30 years behind bars.
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