THE Kenya Anti Counterfeit Agency has intercepted counterfeit pens worth Sh138 million headed for Uganda. ACA officers intercepted two 40-feet containers with the contraband at the port of Mombasa on Monday.
The goods were netted in a joint operation with the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission and the Kenya Revenue Authority. ACA Mombasa county inspector Caspar Oluoch said the agency received complaints from Societe’ Bic France, the manufacturers of Bic products.
“We received a complaint from the company through investigators who called Investigation and Cooperate Research Kenya Ltd. They reported that there was a consignment of counterfeit pens being shipped through the port of Mombasa. We laid a trap and intercepted the two containers,” said Oluoch. The containers were being imported by Manyahululu Company Ltd in Uganda.
The exporter has been identified as Jiangnan East Road Beilun, China. The two identical containers carried a total of 6.5 million pens. Each container had 1,725 cartons of a mixture of red and blue pens. Speaking to the Star yesterday, Oluoch said the agency will file charges against the Ugandan company.
“We have handed samples to Bic for investigation. We will file charges against Manyahululu for importation of counterfeit goods with the intension of passing the transit goods through Kenya,” said Oluoch.
The ball pen interception brings to seven the total number of containers carrying counterfeit goods nabbed at the port of Mombasa by the agency this year. The seven 40 feet containers are estimated to be carrying goods worth Sh 500 million.
The interception contrabands include cigarettes, soaps, spare parts and electronics. Oluoch attributed the success in intercepting contrabands to inter-agency cooperation.
“Inter-agency corporation and commitment has helped us intervene counter-feit goods saving the country millions of shillings. According to Oluoch, most contraband goods are declared as transit goods to evade verification but find their way into the local market.