An Afghan national wanted in the United States over alleged narcotics trafficking and firearms offences has been extradited from Kenya following the conclusion of court proceedings, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.
The DCI identified the suspect as Abdul Zahir Qadeer, also known as Haji Abdul Zahir. He was extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026, to face charges relating to an alleged narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
The extradition was carried out by the DCI's Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) after Kenyan courts approved the request.
"It marked the culmination of close cooperation between the DCI, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Judiciary, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and INTERPOL," the statement said.
According to the agency, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant for Qadeer's arrest on March 25, 2025, over the alleged offences.
An INTERPOL Red Notice was subsequently issued to facilitate his arrest and extradition.
The DCI said detectives arrested Qadeer in Nairobi on April 15, 2025, shortly after he arrived from Kabul, Afghanistan, acting on the Red Notice and the U.S. arrest warrant.
Following the arrest, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions initiated extradition proceedings before the Milimani Law Courts.
The court granted custodial orders pending determination of the application before authorising his extradition to the United States in accordance with Kenyan law.
On July 9, ANU detectives collected Qadeer from Industrial Area Prison and escorted him to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, 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 reflected continued cooperation between Kenyan and U.S. law enforcement agencies in combating transnational organised crime.
"It also reaffirms Kenya's commitment to upholding the rule of law, honouring its international legal obligations and ensuring that persons sought for serious criminal offences are subjected to due process through established judicial mechanisms," the statement said.
Extradition is a legal process through which one country surrenders a person accused or convicted of a crime to another country for prosecution or punishment, subject to domestic laws and applicable international agreements.