S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
A federal grand jury in Alaska has indicted a Bethel man and two California residents for their alleged involvement in trafficking Tramadol, a Schedule IV controlled substance, to Alaska. The individuals, Ryan Greydanus from Bethel, Syed Tahir Turab Naqvi, and Adil Hussain from California, are accused of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute the drug between March 2024 and February 2025.
Court documents reveal that Naqvi and Hussain allegedly used mail services to transport large quantities of Tramadol from Arizona and California to Greydanus for distribution in rural Alaska. They are suspected of shipping over 15,000 parcels containing Tramadol across the U.S. during this period.
The indictment further alleges that Greydanus attempted on two occasions in July and August 2024 to possess Tramadol with intent to distribute it in Alaska. Additionally, Naqvi is accused of attempting to distribute the drug in June 2024.
The arrests took place earlier this month: Greydanus was apprehended on March 16 in Bethel, while Naqvi and Hussain were arrested on March 6 in Azusa and Walnut, California, respectively. All three face charges related to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Greydanus faces additional charges for attempted possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, while Naqvi faces an additional charge for attempted distribution.
Following their arrests, Naqvi and Hussain appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on March 7. Greydanus made his court appearance on March 19 before the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, each defendant could face up to five years in prison along with a $250,000 fine per count.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska announced these developments alongside Special Agent David Reames from the DEA Seattle Field Division and Inspector Anthony Galetti from Anchorage Domicile.
The investigation is being conducted by multiple agencies including the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile and Alaska State Troopers.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Tirpak and Mac Caille Petursson are leading the prosecution efforts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America which aims at combating illegal immigration, eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), while protecting communities from violent crime and drug trafficking activities.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
