A confidential US Drug Enforcement Administration source bought a methamphetamine sample in a Johannesburg parking lot in December 2024, evidence now central to a federal case against former Afghan politician Abdul Zahir Qadeer. Qadeer, once a general in Afghanistan’s Border Force, was arrested in Kenya in April 2025 and extradited to the United States, where he faces charges of conspiring to traffic narcotics and heavy weapons internationally. Journalist Caryn Dolley traces South Africa’s role in the case, drawing on a DEA agent’s criminal complaint.
Reporting by: Caryn Dolley
Edited by: Anda Tolibadi
Filmed by: Joel Seboa
Produced by: Emilie Gambade
Sub-edited by: Kevin Flynn
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
00:58 Who Is Abdul Zahir Qadeer
01:48 South Africa’s Role in the Investigation
02:10 The DEA’s Confidential Source
03:17 The Methamphetamine Sample Order
03:39 10 December 2024: The Parking Lot Handover
04:31 Case Significance
