Muhammed Hafeez: How a polo-loving businessman was a secret global drug lord

Muhammed Asif Hafeez, known to many as “the Sultan,” led a double life that ultimately caught up with him. On the surface, Hafeez portrayed himself as an upstanding individual – a successful global businessman and influential figure within a prestigious London polo club. He mingled with the British elite, including members of the Royal Family, and even provided authorities with valuable information that helped intercept large drug shipments. However, behind this facade, Hafeez was involved in a vast drug trafficking operation, supplying tons of heroin, methamphetamine, and hashish across the globe from his bases in Pakistan and India.

After a complex operation involving British and American authorities, Hafeez, aged 66, was extradited from the UK in 2023. He pleaded guilty to charges related to drug trafficking and was sentenced to 16 years in a New York prison. Despite Hafeez’s status as a prominent figure in the underworld, his illegal activities were exposed, leading to his downfall. The BBC tracked Hafeez’s case closely, uncovering details from court documents, corporate listings, and interviews with acquaintances to understand how he managed to evade capture for so long and the circumstances surrounding his eventual arrest.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, in September 1958, Hafeez came from a comfortable background. From the early 1990s to the mid-2010s, he operated Sarwani International Corporation, a legitimate business with subsidiaries in Pakistan, the UAE, and the UK. While these businesses provided him with a luxurious lifestyle and connections to exclusive circles, they

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