THE UNITED STATES HAS REQUESTED SURINAME EXTRADITE A SUSPECTED TOP GUYANESE DRUG SMUGGLER CHARGED WITH COCAINE TRAFFICKING BY A NEW YORK COURT EARLIER THIS YEAR, A U.S. EMBASSY OFFICIAL SAID ON TUESDAY, REUTERS REPORTED. SHAHEED KHAN, NAMED IN A 2006 U.S. NARCOTICS REPORT AS A KNOWN DRUG TRAFFICKER, WAS ARRESTED LAST THURSDAY IN PARAMARIBO, SURINAME'S CAPITAL, WHERE AUTHORITIES ALSO SEIZED MORE THAN 200 KILOGRAMS OF COCAINE AND 12 OTHER SUSPECTS. U.S. OFFICIALS DELIVERED THE FORMAL EXTRADITION REQUEST ON MONDAY, U.S. EMBASSY PUBLIC AFFAIRS ASSISTANT CLIFF DJAMIN SAID. GUYANESE AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ALSO SUSPECT KHAN WAS INVOLVED IN THE THEFT OF 33 AK-47 RIFLES FROM A POLICE ARMORY. AN ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR KHAN BY A U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE IN NEW YORK IN APRIL ACCUSING HIM OF IMPORTING COCAINE. SURINAMESE AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT YET RESPONDED TO THE U.S. REQUEST MADE UNDER A TREATY BETWEEN PARAMARIBO AND WASHINGTON. U.S. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE ESTIMATED $150 MILLION EARNED EVERY YEAR BY TRAFFICKERS IN GUYANA -- EQUAL TO ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT -- GIVES DRUG GANGS HUGE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC CLOUT IN THE SMALL SOUTH AMERICAN NATION.
