KRA impounds 3,000 bags of contraband sugar in Meru
Police officers at the Kanini Haraka Wholesalers in Meru town where Kenya Revenue Authority impounded 3,000 bags of sugar from Brazil. PHOTO | GITONGA MARETE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- At least 13 workers who were repacking the commodity at Kanini Haraka Wholesalers were arrested during the raid.
- Meanwhile, three businessmen based in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate were on Monday charged with possession and sale of contraband sugar
- They denied the charges and were released on Sh300,000 cash bail each.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has seized 3,000 bags of contraband sugar at a godown in Meru town.
County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga said the sugar, which was imported from Brazil, was being repackaged into bags to indicate it was sourced from Zambia.
RAID
At least 13 workers who were repacking the commodity at Kanini Haraka Wholesalers were arrested during the raid, alongside the manager of the godown.
However, the owner was still at large, Mr Nyagwanga said.
The warehouse was shut down.
“After extensive investigations we discovered that this sugar is contraband. We have also ordered another warehouse in Maua operated by the same person to close as investigations are being carried out,” said Mr Nyagwanga.
“These people are pretending to be manufacturers by repackaging the commodity which in itself is a crime. The documents they have presented are fake and we are investigating how sugar purported to have been imported last year is still here,” said the commissioner.
The raid comes at a time when the country has been flooded with illegal sugar with police impounding thousands of bags in various parts of the country, with claims that some of the commodity contains poisonous substances such as mercury and copper.
“We have also sent samples to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to ascertain if this sugar contains poisonous substances. People should be wary of cheap sugar being sold in shops because it is not genuine,” he added.
While sugar imported from Brazil is subject to taxation the one from the Common Market for Eastern Africa (Comesa) region is allowed into the country duty free but with a limit on quantities.
The country produces about 600,000 tonnes of sugar a year, while annual consumption is 870,000 tonnes with the deficit plugged by imports from the Comesa trade bloc. The imports are however controlled and importers are required to apply for permits with the country having a quota of 300,000 tonnes annually.
NAIROBI
Meanwhile, three businessmen based in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate were on Monday charged with possession and sale of contraband sugar.
Mr Dahir Hassan, Mr Mohammed Ahmed and Mr Ahmed Mohammed faced five counts of selling the dirty white sugar at Diamond Wholesalers Store in Eastleigh on June 4, 2018.
The prosecution said they had 922 bags of the bad sweetener, valued at Sh3,070,260, that did not meet the safety standards of white sugar sold in Kenya.
They denied all the five charges before Nairobi Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku and were released on Sh300,000 cash bail each.
The case will be heard on September 3.
Additional reporting by Richard Munguti.
