Police seize contraband sugar in Kitui, Matuu and Mwingi

Suspected contraband sugar which was seized in Kitui, Matuu and Mwingi towns on June 16, 2018 after police raided warehouses belonging to Mt Kenya Wholesalers. PHOTO | KITAVI MUTUA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Hundreds of bags were impounded in the simultaneous raids on the warehouses.

  • Police said the sugar bears similarity to the consignment seized in Nairobi.

  • Governor Ngilu urged police to expedite their investigations and take firm action against anyone found to have been involved in illegal trade.

Police in Kitui have impounded consignments of suspected contraband sugar in three different towns and arrested one person.

Hundreds of bags were impounded in Kitui, Matuu and Mwingi towns in simultaneous raids on godowns belonging to Mt Kenya wholesalers who were preparing to release into the local market.

Kitui Central OCPD Muthuri Mwongera confirmed that samples of the consignment were taken to the Government Chemist for testing as detectives investigated how the traders involved managed to evade paying taxes to the Kenya revenue Authority (KRA).

“Our preliminary investigations have established that import duty wasn’t paid on the sugar but we have put the consignment on a 24-hour police guard to avert any possibility of it being sold to the market,” Mr Mwongera told the Nation.

He said the sugar under their watch is similar to the one impounded in Nairobi which was suspected to contain poisonous elements but added that they were waiting for results of chemical analysis from Government Chemist.

Mr Mwongera said the sugar was imported from five different countries including Mauritius, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Uganda and Somalia but none seems to have been authorised into the country by the customs unit of KRA.

POLICE GUARD

He added officers had been stationed in all the warehouses which were stocking the suspected bad sugar and assured the public that everything will be done to ensure the safety of residents.

“The owner gave us some documents which we are confirming their authenticity. We also want KRA and the Kenya Bureau of Standards to verify the source and help us get to the bottom of the matter,” the OCPD said.

When news of the police raid broke out, Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu cut short a leaders’ meeting she was presiding over at Kefri Centre and rushed to inspect the stores owned by Mount Kenya Wholesalers.

Governor Ngilu, who was accompanied by several MCAs and her county executive members, said it is unacceptable for some traders to make Kitui County a dumping ground for smuggled goods of questionable quality.

“This is the same sugar that Interior CS Fred Matiang’i impounded in Nairobi. If any trader thinks that he can cut corners to dump it in Kitui, he very mistaken” Mrs Ngilu said as she ordered the warehouse to halt their operations to allow thorough audit of the goods in their stock.

She urged police to expedite their investigations and take firm action against anyone found to have been involved in illegal trade.

A worker at Mt Kenya Wholesalers told the Nation that they were not involved in importing the consignment but were supplied by other dealers.