US justice authorities issued an extradition request for the former professional footballer Trabelsi over suspicions that he was involved in other major Al-Qaeda backed plots.

The request is based on allegations that he was part of a criminal enterprise aiming to kill US nationals overseas as well as membership of a criminal organisation trying to procure or use weapons of mass destruction.

He was also alleged to be part of a group supplying materials and other resources to "a foreign terrorist organisation".

AFP/Expatica