Suspect behind smuggled alcohol netted in Nairobi arrested
A man suspected to be behind smuggled alcoholic drinks worth Sh15m seized in Nairobi was arrested together with an accomplice on May 13, 2018. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Goods have since been moved to the KRA Wilson Airport warehouses as investigations continue.
- Arrest comes just a day after 400 tonnes of contraband sugar netted in 2016 was destroyed in Mombasa.
A man suspected to be behind Sh15million contraband goods seized on Sunday near the Inland Container Depot has been arrested.
Police claim that Sheikh Fruqan Hassan was attempting to move the consignment of illegal goods from a warehouse near the ICD to Westlands, Nairobi.
Kenya Revenue Authority and Kenya Railways officers pounced on the suspect and his accomplice as they were packing 994 cartons of ‘imported alcoholic drinks’ while on a routine market surveillance.
The goods have since been moved to the KRA Wilson Airport warehouses as investigations continue.
Illicit trade in the country has degraded the capacity of the taxman to meet revenue targets, with more than Sh280 billion estimated to be lost to smugglers.
Last Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta while addressing a Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kespa) Presidential Roundtable directed security agencies to move with speed to tame the illicit trade.
President Kenyatta appointed Deputy Head of Public Service, Wanyama Musiambo, to lead efforts to eradicate corruption, counterfeits, fake business stickers, and dumping of goods especially through the Mombasa port.
