Extradition of Afghan national/DCI X
An Afghan national wanted in the United States over alleged narcotics trafficking and firearms offences has been extradited from Kenya after the conclusion of court proceedings, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has said.
In a statement, the DCI said the national 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 his arrest on March 25, 2025, in connection with the alleged offences.
An INTERPOL Red Notice was subsequently issued to facilitate his arrest and extradition.
The DCI said detectives arrested the national in Nairobi on April 15, 2025, shortly after he arrived in Kenya from Kabul, Afghanistan.
"Acting on the Red Notice and the U.S. arrest warrant, detectives mounted a coordinated operation that led to his arrest in Nairobi shortly after he arrived from Kabul," the statement said.
Following the arrest, the ODPP initiated extradition proceedings before the Milimani Law Courts.
The court granted custodial orders pending determination of the application before authorising his surrender to the United States in accordance with Kenyan law.
The DCI said ANU detectives escorted the national from Industrial Area Prison on Thursday to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where he was handed over to officials from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration before departing for the United States.
The agency described the extradition as the result of cooperation between Kenyan and American law enforcement agencies in addressing transnational organised crime.
According to the statement, the operation underscored the partnership between the two countries in investigating and prosecuting cross-border criminal networks involved in narcotics trafficking and other offences.
The DCI said the extradition reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and fulfilling its international legal obligations through established judicial processes.
"It also reaffirms Kenya's commitment to 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.
