DCI extradites Afghan national to US over alleged drug trafficking and firearms offences

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), through its Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), has extradited an Afghan national wanted in the United States over alleged involvement in an international narcotics trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offences.

In a statement, the DCI said Abdul Zahir Qadeer, also known as Haji Abdul Zahir, was extradited on July 9, 2026, following the conclusion of extradition proceedings before Kenyan courts.

The agency said the extradition was the result of close collaboration between the DCI, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Judiciary, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and INTERPOL.

According to the extradition request, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant for Qadeer’s arrest on March 25, 2025, over charges of narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

An INTERPOL Red Notice was subsequently issued to facilitate his arrest and extradition.

Acting on the Red Notice and the U.S. arrest warrant, detectives mounted a coordinated operation that led to Qadeer’s arrest in Nairobi on April 15, 2025, shortly after he arrived from Kabul, Afghanistan.

Following his arrest, the ODPP initiated extradition proceedings before the Milimani Law Courts. The court granted custodial orders pending the determination of the application before later authorising his extradition to the United States in accordance with Kenyan law.

On Thursday, July 9, 2026, Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives collected Qadeer from Industrial Area Prison and escorted him to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where he was formally handed over to officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration before departing for the United States.

The DCI said the extradition demonstrates the strong partnership between Kenyan and U.S. law enforcement agencies in combating transnational organised crime.

The agency added that the move also reaffirms Kenya’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, fulfilling its international legal obligations and ensuring that individuals wanted for serious criminal offences are subjected to due process through established judicial mechanisms.