DALLAS – A 28-year-old Pakistani-origin man has been extradited from Qatar to the United States to face federal charges in connection with an alleged criminal network accused of trafficking more than $100 million worth of stolen mobile phones and other electronic devices.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas said that Abdullah Anwar, originally from Karachi, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including conspiracy to transport stolen property through interstate and international commerce, conspiracy to commit mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
US authorities said Anwar had previously been released on bail after being charged in the case but later fled the United States and travelled to Pakistan. He was subsequently arrested in Qatar and extradited to the US on July 10, 2026. He is currently being held at the Collin County Jail in Texas.
The FBI said the extradition was coordinated through the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs with the assistance of Qatari authorities. American officials thanked Qatar’s Ministry of Interior and Public Prosecution for their cooperation in securing Anwar’s arrest and transfer.
The case is part of Operation Cash Out, a multi-agency investigation into an alleged international criminal network accused of stealing, trafficking and exporting electronic devices. Federal prosecutors allege the organisation sold more than 70,000 stolen mobile phones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches worth approximately $100 million overseas. Investigators also claim nearly 20,000 devices were obtained through identity theft schemes, resulting in financial losses exceeding $42 million.
Court records show that a federal grand jury initially indicted 101 suspects in a superseding indictment issued in 2021. According to the US Department of Justice, the number of defendants has since risen to 112, with several individuals agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors.
Investigators allege the network operated through multiple layers, including individuals involved in armed robberies and fraud to obtain devices, suppliers of stolen electronics, traffickers who purchased and transported the products, and exporters who shipped them abroad.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the broader money laundering network under investigation has been linked to losses exceeding $1 billion over five years.
However, US authorities have not specified how that figure was calculated or what portion, if any, is directly attributable to Anwar.
Under US law, the filing of criminal charges or an indictment does not constitute proof of guilt. Anwar, like all defendants in the case, is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
