Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Customs Enforcement officers on Tuesday intercepted a truck that was ferrying suspected uncustomed ethanol in the Lwakhakha border station in Bungoma, Western Region.
The unlicensed consignment amounting to a total of 7,500 litres was contained in 30 drums with each drum holding a capacity of 250 litres of ethanol.
The consignment was being smuggled from the neighbouring country of Uganda.
KRA officers discovered the illegal consignment which was ingeniously concealed under 2 tonnes of oranges set to throw the officers off the radar.
According to KRA’s Customs team, the value of customs duties and taxes on the ethanol consignment are estimated to be Sh4 million.
The truck is detained at the Lwakhakha Border Station while investigations are ongoing.
Efforts by the police to track the driver who escaped after realizing his ruse came to light are still ongoing.
To combat illicit trade, KRA has employed a multi-departmental strategy that collaborates to enhance market surveillance and counter illicit trade within its borders.
This approach helps to enforce legal compliance and protects the country from organized crime, smuggling, commercial fraud and other potential threats.
Additionally, KRA officers are actively involved in local security committees where they exchange intelligence to curb illegal activities at border points.
Their use of advanced investigative and intelligence methods has resulted in the successful seizure of illicit goods and the disruption of smuggling networks across the nation.
In collaboration with a multi-agency task force, KRA says it continues to tackle illicit trade and transnational crimes in a bid to safeguard the integrity of Kenya’s trade environment.
KRA officials in collaboration with the local police went through the copy of records at the verification area to ascertain the identity of the driver.