Former Afghan General extradited to USA to face drug charges

A former Afghanistan Border Force general and First Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly’s House of the People was on Thursday extradited to the USA to face drug charges after a Nairobi court cleared the way for the process.

Abdul Zahir Qadeer, alias Haji Abdul Zahir, will face charges relating to a conspiracy to allegedly import narcotics and firearms.

Zahir was handed over to the officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) terminal two by Kenya’s Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The suspect was arrested by ANU detectives after the US District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a warrant of arrest on March 25, 2025, which saw the placing of an INTERPOL Red Notice.

He was arrested on April 15 at Safari Park Hotel shortly after landing from Kabul, Afghanistan, after his passport was flagged.

After the arrest, ANU, through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) commenced extradition proceedings at the Milimani Law Courts.

Detectives from ANU were allowed to detain Zahir at the Industrial Area Prison as the matter was being heard to its conclusion.

On July 9, he was picked from the prison and escorted to JKIA where he was handed over to DEA officials for the trip to US where he will be tried.

DCI boss Mohamed Amin. [Courtesy; DCI]

“This extradition underscores the enduring partnership between Kenyan and United States law enforcement agencies in combating transnational organised crime,” said DCI boss Mohamed Amin.

“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.”

This move comes amid the strengthening of ANU after it was expanded following a directive by President William Ruto in his New Year’s address on January 2026.

The unit at the end of the implementation of this directive will have seen the number of officers attached to it grow to around 900 from the previous 200.

With the additional officers ANU will have the same operational capacity and autonomy as the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.

Anti-Narcotics Unit director Samuel Laboso. [Courtesy; DCI]

Recently some 69 investigators graduated from a four-week anti-narcotics course at the National Criminal Investigations Academy (NCIA) on July 3, 2026, in an event presided over by DCI boss Amin who was joined by ANU director Samuel Laboso.

“Every investigator we equip through this course strengthens our shield against the networks that seek to flood our communities with illicit drugs. The knowledge and skills you have acquired will be instrumental in protecting lives, upholding justice and safeguarding our nation’s future,” said Amin.

The second cohort of officers began their training at NCIA on July 8 and while addressing the officers ANU director Laboso urged officers to fully engage in the training.

"The fight against narcotics demands highly skilled investigators who can adapt to ever-changing criminal tactics," he said.

In February 2026, over 15 officers, from the Sensitive Investigations Unit (SIU) which is under ANU, underwent a four week ‘Basic Narcotics Investigations’ at the DEA academy in Quantico, Virginia.