NAIROBI, Kenya- Kenyan authorities have extradited Afghan national Abdul Zahir Qadeer, also known as Haji Abdul Zahir, to the United States to face narcotics trafficking and firearms charges following the conclusion of extradition proceedings before Kenyan courts.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the extradition was carried out on July 9, marking the culmination of joint efforts involving the DCI’s Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Judiciary, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and INTERPOL.
According to the DCI, Qadeer is wanted in the United States on allegations of participating in a narcotics importation conspiracy and possessing machine guns and destructive devices in connection with drug trafficking.
The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant for his arrest on March 25, 2025, after which INTERPOL circulated a Red Notice to facilitate his arrest.
Detectives arrested Qadeer in Nairobi on April 15, 2025, shortly after he arrived from Kabul, Afghanistan.
Following his arrest, the ODPP instituted extradition proceedings before the Milimani Law Courts. The High Court later dismissed his appeal against extradition, ruling that Kenya had sufficient legal basis under international conventions to surrender him despite the absence of a bilateral extradition treaty with the United States.
On Thursday, Anti-Narcotics Unit detectives transferred Qadeer from Industrial Area Prison to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where he was formally handed over to DEA officials before departing for the United States.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Qadeer is accused of conspiring to import heroin and methamphetamine into the United States while also dealing in military-grade weapons, including machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and destructive devices.
Prosecutors allege he arranged a test shipment of narcotics that was delivered in South Africa to a buyer who was secretly cooperating with the DEA.
Qadeer has denied the allegations. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The DCI said the extradition underscores Kenya’s commitment to combating transnational organised crime and fulfilling its international legal obligations through due process.
The case is among the most high-profile international extraditions handled by Kenyan authorities in recent years and highlights growing cooperation between Kenya and the United States in tackling narcotics trafficking and other transnational crimes.
