WASHINGTON-
A Pakistani national was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment by a court in United States on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.
Shiraz Malik , 36, pleaded guilty in October last year for selling pharmaceuticals and highly regulated chemicals to customers in the US, Europe, Mexico, and other countries and conspiring to launder the profits of that activity.
He used to operate through the internet.
According to court documents, Malik operated out of Warsaw, Poland from June 2008 to September 2011.
In September 2011, he was arrested at the Prague International Airport and was extradited from the Czech Republic to the US in June 2012.
Malik took orders from customers via internet and coordinated with people in Pakistan to fill the orders, the Justice Department said.
It alleged that the drugs were sent from Pakistan to the customers, and Malik emailed the tracking numbers, sent by accomplices, to buyers.
Malik sold large quantities of ephedrine to customers in Mexico, the country of origin for most of the methamphetamine sold in the US, the Justice Department said.
“Malik operated an international supermarket for illegal drugs,” said US Attorney Benjamin Wagner.
“As the Internet allows everyone access to international markets, federal law enforcement officials will be vigilant in protecting this country from overseas predators who profit off the addiction of others,” he said.
Wagner said the defendant supplied addictive drugs, including oxycontin and heroin, to other drug traffickers in America and around the world, and supplied materials needed to make methamphetamine to clandestine producers in Mexico and Africa.
“Malik had never set foot in this country before he was arrested and extradited here on these charges,” the US Attorney said.
