Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) chief Mohamed Amin is in the United States for a series of high-level meetings with local security officials to address the menace of drug trafficking.
On Wednesday, Amin, leading the Kenya Delegation on Cooperation, Collaboration, and Partnership in the Fight Against Drugs, met with George Papadopoulos, the Principal Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Discussions centered on key issues surrounding the production, sale, and abuse of narcotic drugs, with both sides affirming their commitment to combating these challenges.
According to a statement, the meeting explored areas such as enhancing forensic capabilities, providing training for Kenyan law enforcement, and launching educational outreach programs targeting vulnerable groups, especially youth.
The U.S. pledged to remain a reliable partner in the fight against drugs, promising robust support, training, and resources to aid Kenya in tackling the complex drug trafficking landscape.
Amin’s delegation expressed gratitude for the collaboration, emphasizing the importance of joint initiatives to strengthen law enforcement, improve intelligence-sharing, and promote grassroots campaigns to prevent drug abuse.
The meeting also highlighted the significance of engaging community stakeholders to foster a healthier, safer environment. Both nations reiterated their shared resolve to create a drug-free society through sustained partnerships and innovative strategies.
Kenya and the DEA have a history of collaboration in the fight against narcotics.
Notable was the 2014 U.S.-led sting operation in Mombasa that led to the arrest of the Akasha brothers. The two, along with Pakistani Gulam Hussein and Indian Vijaygiri Goswami, were implicated in providing large quantities of heroin and methamphetamine to DEA informants posing as traffickers.
Goswami later cooperated with U.S. authorities, while the Akasha brothers pleaded guilty in 2018. Baktash Akasha, the organization’s leader, received a 25-year prison sentence, while his brother Ibrahim Akasha was sentenced to 23 years in 2020 by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero in Manhattan federal court.
These cases underscored the importance of international collaboration in dismantling drug cartels and highlighted Kenya’s determination to work closely with the DEA to combat the narcotics trade.
