By BEATRICE MATERU
Tanzania has extradited to the United States a blacklisted
drug kingpin Ali Khatib Haji Hassan commonly known as Shkuba along with
two others to face charges on illicit narcotic trafficking.
Principal Resident Magistrate Cyprian Mkeha issued the order at the Kisutu court in Dar es Salaam last month.
The three – Shkuba, Idd Salehe Mfuru and Lwitiko Samson Adam –
were handed over to the American authorities on Monday despite a pending
appeal against their extradition.
When reached for comment, Shkuba’s lawyers termed the move as a violation of the country’s law.
“The State is aware that there is an appeal pending before the
High Court against the extradition order issued recently. This is
totally against the Constitution and other laws,” lawyer Hudson Ndusyepo
said.
The three had 15 days within which to file an appeal against the extradition.
The US blacklisted Shkuba last year, terming him as “a major
international drug kingpin who smuggles multi-tonne shipments of heroin
and cocaine to Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America via his East
Africa-based drug trafficking organisation.”
Last month, the US requested Tanzania to extradite the three
suspected drug barons to face charges of smuggling heroin and cocaine to
America.
Security forces in Tanzania have been cracking down on suspected
traffickers in an anti-drugs campaign that has been backed by President
John Magufuli.
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