BY SAM ALFAN.
An Afghanistan national wanted by America’s DEA has been detained by Kenya authorities awaiting extradition proceedings to be completed.
A Nairobi court allowed the detention of Abdul Zahir Qadeer aka Haji Abdul Zahir a former member of the Afghanistan Parliament.
Zahir is wanted by the US for offences of Narcotics Importation Conspiracy under 21 USC. &963, and being in possession of machine guns.
The suspect was arrested in a city hotel by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations who have applied for the orders to keep him in custody before they hand him over to US authorities.
Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi allowed the application by the Director of Public Prosecution.
“I allow application by the Director of Public Prosecution to detain the respondent (Abdul Zahir Qadeer aka Haji Abdul Zahir) for ten days at Muthaiga Police Station,” ruled Magistrate Ekhubi.
According to the DPP, a warrant of arrest was issued against the Afghan National by the United States District court on 25th March 2025.
Investigating officer Sergeant John Wafula attached to DCI Anti-Narcotic Unit told the court that the US Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Nicholas Difrancesco filed a criminal complaint before the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in the USA against Abdul Zahir Qadeer Hai.
The Central Intelligence Authority of the USA, through the DEA Special Agent, sent a Diplomatic Note to Kenya requesting for the extradition and surrender of Zahir.
The court heard that on April 15, 2025, on the basis of the foregoing information and the totality of the circumstances, the prosecutor issued an authority to proceed with the request for extradition and surrender of Zahir.
“The available information and the totality of the circumstances disclosed hereto justify the endorsing of the US District Court Warrant of Arrest against the Respondent, and for his return and surrender to the USA to face the subject charges for which he was formally charged before the US District Court,” the court heard.
The prosecutor told the court that Zahir arrived in Nairobi from Kabul on 14th April 2025 aboard Qatar Airlines, had no fixed home in Nairobi, and was therefore a serious flight risk.
He added that Zahir was likely to leave Kenya to not only Afghanistan but also another country with no extradition treaty with the USA, which would make his extradition impossible.
The court heard that releasing Zahir on bond or otherwise is highly likely to not only prejudice the attempts to extradite and surrender him as requested but to also interfere with the efforts to trace his accomplices who are still at large, thereby jeopardizing the intended extradition request.
“It is in the interest of justice, and of Kenya’s compliance with its international obligations, that this Court endorses the US District Court Warrant of Arrest against Zahir and orders for his return and surrender to the USA to face the subject charges,” the prosecution submitted.
