KRA intercepts 5000 litres of illicit ethanol near Nairobi's SGR corridor

KRA intercepts 5,000 litres of illicit ethanol near Nairobi’s SGR corridor. [Courtesy]

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted 5,000 litres of suspected illicit ethanol valued at Sh16.26 million near the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) corridor in Nairobi.

In a statement issued on Saturday, January 10, KRA said the operation was carried out after officers received an intelligence tip-off indicating that lorries suspected to be transporting ethanol had been spotted within a yard near the SGR corridor.

“Upon arrival at the location, the officers found that the lorries had already departed. However, they recovered the illicit ethanol which had been offloaded and stored within the yard,” read the statement.

The operation led to the seizure of 20 drums of illicit ethanol, each with a capacity of 250 litres, amounting to a total of 5,000 litres. A Toyota Fielder, suspected to have been used by the owners of the illicit product, was also recovered at the scene.

According to the authority, the vehicle was found fitted with gadgets believed to be tracking system jammers.

The seized goods and the motor vehicle have since been detained at a KRA warehouse as investigations continue.