Police seize more than 5000 litres of illicit brew in Athi River

BY PETERSON GITHAIGA

Police at Athi River on Monday impounded and drained more than 5000 litres of illicit brew (Chang’aa) in a raid that saw police arrest 11 people in Sofia Estate.

Led by the area officer commanding police division, Mr Charles Kiriinya the plain clothes police officers invaded the area at around 11am in the morning arresting the people in the drinking den among them the consumers and the illegal brewers.

Crowd gathered in the area to witness the police carrying their mission. Several drunkards complained as the police carried out their mission an indication of how the illicit drink making has buttressed its roots in area.

Locals appealed to the area police to take the matter seriously and fight the vice.  ‘‘We thank the President for the noble directive but we are urging the police and administration to take serious measures in-order to succeed.

The drinks were stored in 18 drums estimated to be 250 litres and some in about 27 twenty litres containers.

“We are asking the locals who are brewing the illicit products and those dealing in illegal drugs that their days were numbered,” said the area OCPD who promised that the campaigns were at fever pitch and nobody will be spared. The OCPD said that his police informers were fully equipped and ready to deal with the drinking menace that has been a big problem.

Mr Kiriinya said that the slummy areas of Athi River have been the hiding place for the brewers but following the president directive nobody will be spared.

 ''We have a serious problem here of illicit brew and drugs in this area but we are determined to win the battle,” said the police boss.

This comes just three days after more than 3000 litres were seized by the police and provincial administrators in the same area, at Mto Wa Mawe. Three people were arrested.

The Machakos County Commissioner Anne Gakuria urged the provincial administrators and the police to ensure all the brewing dens in the area were completely done away with. The commissioner also said that the police had also seized about 500Kilogrammes of the commonly abused bhang in Lukenya area.