Mozambique to extradite suspected drug baron to US

Mozambique has agreed to extradite a Pakistani citizen and suspected drug baron to the United States.

Tanveer Ahmed, also known as "Galby", will be tried at a district court in south Texas and if found guilty of drug trafficking could face a sentence of 40 years in prison.

The Mozambican attorney general's office said the Supreme Court had agreed to its request despite there being no extradition treaty between the two countries.

The US court had issued an international arrest warrant issued for Mr Ahmed in December 2018.

Earlier in 2018 Mr Ahmed had been arrested in Mozambique’s northern Cabo Delgado province in alleged possession of 34kg (75lb) of cocaine and about two kg of cannabis, according to the Mozambican criminal investigation service.

He was not convicted because of a lack of evidence, but was kept in custody as US arrest warrant had been issued.

Mr Ahmed had appealed against his extradition but dropped his appeal last month, which has allowed the authorities to move forward with transferring him into US custody.