Small teams of U.S. Special Forces and intelligence officers were in Afghanistan at the time, seeking the support of tribal leaders.
He agreed to work with them and was freed, and in late January 2002 he handed over 15 truckloads of weapons, including about 400 anti-aircraft missiles, that had been hidden by the Taliban in his tribe's territory.
RFE/RL looks at alleged ties between Afghanistan's former Taliban regime and the illegal narcotics trade in light of the Noorzai arrest.
[10] Noorzai was represented at his 2008 trial by New York high-profile criminal defense lawyer Ivan Fisher.
The New York Times reported that the leadership vacuum in the drug trade, following Noorzai's capture, was filled by Juma Khan.
The Afghanistan Times reported that Taliban officials said Noorzai had been released, in the United Arab Emirates, on July 16, 2019.