The war against drug trafficking and possession centered a discussion between the Director, Directorate of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin and key Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States officials.
Amin is the US for a series of meetings with local security officials over drug trafficking menace.
The Kenya Delegation on Cooperation, Collaboration, and Partnership in the fight against drugs, led by Amin convened a significant meeting today with the Principal Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States George Papadopoulos on Wednesday.
The discussions focused on a range of pressing issues surrounding the sale, distribution, and consumption of narcotic drugs, with both parties reaffirming their unwavering commitment to combat these challenges, a statement said.
Among the specific areas of collaboration discussed were improvements in forensic capabilities, training for local law enforcement officials, and the implementation of educational outreach programs targeting youth and vulnerable populations.
Emphasizing the critical nature of this collaboration, the U.S. reiterated its role as a reliable partner, pledging to provide comprehensive support, training, and resources to Kenya as it navigates the complex landscape of drug trafficking.
The meeting said they have put in place initiatives are designed to bolster law enforcement capabilities, improve intelligence-sharing protocols, and promote community awareness programs that aim to prevent drug abuse at the grassroots level.
The meeting served not only to deepen the ties between the two nations but also to reinforce their collective resolve to create a safer, drug-free environment.
Both parties underscored the necessity of working alongside various community stakeholders to foster health and security for all.
Kenya and DEA have been working together in the war on narcotics.
For instance, two Akasha brothers were arrested in Mombasa, Kenya, in November 2014 in a U.S.-led sting operation, in which authorities said they provided 99 kilograms of heroin and two kilograms of methamphetamine to DEA informants posing as drug traffickers.
Two other men, Gulam Hussein, a Pakistani, and Vijaygiri Goswami, an Indian, were also arrested and charged with taking part in the scheme.
Goswami went on to cooperate with U.S. authorities, court papers show.
Both Akasha brothers pleaded guilty in October 2018.
A fifth defendant accused of working with the Akasha organisation, Muhammad Asif Hafeez, was arrested in London in August 2017. The United States has requested his extradition.
A judge later in 2020 sentenced Ibrahim Akasha, once a member of Kenya’s Akasha drug trafficking organisation, to 23 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to trafficking heroin and methamphetamine and other crimes.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan federal court, was a victory for prosecutors, who had argued that Akasha had been a top lieutenant to his brother Baktash Akasha, the Akasha organisation’s former leader, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison.