The arrest of Badru Abdul Aziz Saleh, a Kenyan national wanted for narcotics and wildlife trafficking, has triggered public interest in the Ksh116 million reward offered by the U.S. government. Saleh was detained Tuesday following a coordinated operation involving U.S. and Kenyan law enforcement agencies.
The U.S. Department of State had previously announced a Ksh233 million reward for Saleh and his accomplice Abdi Hussein Ahmed, who remains at large. The fugitive's capture followed a tip from an informant, disclosed after a joint briefing at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.
Authorities confirmed the reward will be paid to the individual who provided critical information, though details will remain confidential for security reasons. Saleh is currently in police custody as investigators intensify efforts to locate Ahmed.
"Our partnership with the public has been instrumental in this arrest," the DCI stated on social media. "We urge anyone with information on Ahmed's whereabouts to contact our anonymous tip line or the U.S. embassy in Nairobi." The agency emphasized ongoing collaboration with U.S. agencies in combating transnational crime.
Legal documents reveal Saleh's involvement in a 2018-2019 narcotics conspiracy. A federal indictment from 2021 charged him with distributing heroin, including a 2019 transaction in Nairobi. After fleeing law enforcement, he was arrested in Kenya in July 2019 but later disappeared, prompting a warrant for his arrest.