One of USA’s most wanted suspects in drug, wildlife trafficking arrested
One of the two fugitives wanted by the United States for alleged trafficking in wildlife products and drugs has been arrested.
Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh was arrested at Liboi in Garissa county while attempting to cross over to Somalia.
The US government had placed a Sh233 million bounty on the heads of two Kenyans suspected of trafficking wildlife products and drugs.
US acting Ambassador to Kenya Eric Kneedler said Abdi Hussein and Badru had conspired to smuggle 190 kg of rhino horns and 10 tons of elephant ivory from different countries in Africa valued at Sh700 million.
The two had also planned to distribute 10 kg of heroin from Kenya to the USA.
“The two fugitives are major violators of US narcotics and wildlife trafficking laws, and they are wanted for their alleged involvement in an international organised criminal network that trafficked wildlife from Africa and sought to traffic illicit drugs to the US,” the US Ambassador said.
Back on June 14, 2019, the suspects were indicted by the US Southern District Court of New York.
This was shortly followed by a Red Notice issued by INTERPOL in respect of Suhur Mansur Mohamed and Ahmed Abdi Hussein.
Badru, was nabbed in Kenya by DCI detectives on June 11, 2019, at the Busia border.
He was then transported to Nairobi and later arraigned before Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Law Court.
However, Badru was on July 12, 2019, granted bail of Sh200,000 and compelled to report every fortnight to the detectives.
He did so until December 2019 when he was last seen.
His accomplice, Abdi Hussein Ahmed, is however still at large.
