Police raid warehouse, seize contraband sugar

Security agencies in Machakos have impounded 588 bags of suspected contraband sugar and sealed off a major distribution warehouse in Matuu town.

Local detectives raided the store last Friday, following a tip off from the public, and found several trucks offloading bags of sugar into the warehouse.

The trucks were also loaded with oil suspected to have originated from Tanzania.

Machakos County Commissioner Matilda Sakwa on Saturday led the entire county security committee to Matuu, where they were joined by officials from Kenya Bureau of Standards, the National Anti-counterfeit Agency, and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to carry out a probe.

“After we got the information from a reliable source, we dispatched security officers to the scene and found loads of sugar and oil being offloaded into the warehouse,” Ms Sakwa told journalists in Matuu yesterday.

She said a further investigation in the warehouse revealed approximately 2,000 bags of the same brand of sugar, which, she said, would be subjected to laboratory analysis to establish if it is safe for human consumption.

“KRA will also conduct investigation to establish whether the goods were properly cleared into the country and if relevant duty was paid,” she added.

Ms Sakwa said police had been instructed to seal off the warehouse as investigations go on.

“More officers have also proceeded to Mwingi town in Kitui County, where the same trader operates a major distribution go-down, to conduct further probe,” she said.