Kilifi,KENYA:Police in Kilifi have seized three trucks carrying eighty six tons of contraband sugar en route to Garissa County.
The incident happened on Wednesday night.
Two of the trucks were carrying 560 bags of 50kgs of sugar each and the third truck was loaded with 600 bags of 50kgs of brown sugar.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Kilifi County Commander Fredrick Ochieng said the trucks were seized at the Kipijwa roadblock along Mombasa-Kilifi highway.
“The trucks were seized at the Kijipwa Police Roadblock by our officers at around 9 pm at night,” Ochieng said.
“This contraband sugar was being ferried to Garisa County. Our officers have been put on alert on any illegal goods on our roads and we ensure that our roads are clean,” he added.
The Lorries are currently being detained at Kijipwa Police Station.
Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) investigating officers and those from KEBS arrived at the police station to inspect the cargo.
During the inspection exercise the officers recognized that the sugar was from Brazil and was supplied by three different companies and was manufactured in June 2017 with an expected expiry date of 2020.
KEBS officers took samples from the suppliers.
The companies are USINA ALTO ALEGRE SA –Brazil, ADECOARGRO VALE DO IVINHEMA SA -Brazil and ACUCAR SUD SA-Brazil.
Bags were manufactured by Adpack limited in Athi River.
However the bags did not have the S mark from KEBS.
According to the documents seen by Baraka FM the sugar belongs to Mackenzie EA LTD and the consignment was received on August,13th 2017 and the first two trucks were released on 6TH and 7th June ,2018 respectively.
According to an officer who is not authorized to speak to the Press, the sugar on transit did not have certificate of conformity.
This comes just a few hours before interior cabinet secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i revealed that 1365 bags of counterfeit sugar had been recovered across different stores in the country.
According the interior cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi, the contraband sugar and uncertain amount of Oil was recovered two weeks ago.
Matiangi who was addressing members of the press on Wednesday at the office of Director of criminal investigation DCI in Kiambu, said a couple people have been arrested and others have been taken to court by conducting illegal business.
“We are not going to be polite about this business, this crime has continue in our country for a long time and I am under president Uhuru Kenyatta instruction to accord you maximum support” Said Matiangi
The Cs issued a stern warning to officers working under Kenya Revenue Authority KRA, Anti counterfeit Agencies as well as those doing illegal business in the country saying, the government is coming for them.
He added that the government has been losing a lot of revenue collections from the illegal business being undertaking underground.
“Whether you’re working with KRA or Counterfeit agencies, let us do what we are supposed to do” Matiangi Warned.
He noted that the report that came from chemical analyses, the sugar is said to contain high content of Mercury and copper that normally led to cancer.
Additional reporting Michael Mbugua
