Police seize suspected counterfeit liquor in Meru
Police commander Joseph Kyoyo in a godown at a homestead in the Rwanyambu area in Meru during a crackdown on suspected counterfeit liquor. Samples were taken for analysis to ascertain whether the products are genuine. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION
What you need to know:
- A label on one of the brands indicated it had been manufactured in Uganda.
- KRA and Kebs officials took away the liquor to validate their approval marks.
- Drinks in plastic bottles suspected to bear fake excise duty stamps were also seized.
- County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga urged drinkers to shun liquor from unapproved sources.
Police in Meru have raided a godown in the Makutano area where counterfeit drinks were suspected to be distributed from.
The team, led by Meru County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga and AP County Commander Benjamin Cheboi, took away samples of various drinks suspected to be distributed illegally.
The warehouse is located in the homestead of Mr Samuel Kariuki, who told reporters that he had fully complied with all the alcohol regulations.
A label on one of the brands indicated it had been manufactured in Uganda.
The brand, called Uganda Waragi, had a Kampala address on its label, a Kenyan Bureau of Standards (Kebs) approval label and was packed in 250ml plastic bottles.
SAMPLES TAKEN AWAY
A team of officers from the Nairobi office of the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) and those from Kebs and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) also visited the site and took away the liquor to validate the approval marks on the drinks.
At another storage area belonging to Africa Spirits Limited, drinks in plastic bottles suspected to bear fake excise duty stamps and which lacked batch numbers and the dates of production were also taken away.
“We are concerned that counterfeit drinks are finding a ready market at the wines and spirits outlets and are being sold against regulations set by the government. Samples will be taken to the government chemist to verify their content,” said Mr Nyagwanga.
The county commissioner said there could be many counterfeit drinks on the market that were packed in bottles of licensed brands and asked Meru residents to be on the lookout for them.
SHUN FAKE LIQUOR
He urged drinkers to shun liquor from unapproved sources.
“The owner of the godown is helping police officers with investigations as we await a report from the various agencies that took away samples for verification.
"I, however, urge members of the public to remain alert at all times over these drinks,” he said.
Mr Nyagwanga said the crackdown on illegal alcohol was ongoing and called on the public to volunteer information to the police in order to boost the war against alcohol abuse.
