By G, KNA
Kakamega Court has sentenced a lorry driver to serve one- year imprisonment after finding him guilty of smuggling cigarettes worth over Sh26 million.
Shadrack Chirchir Kogo, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Philip Mutua was charged for conveying unaccustomed goods contrary to the East Africa Community Customs Management Act 2004.
His accomplices Jacktone Andanyi and Christabel Wafula, who were charged with the offence of being in possession of excisable goods contrary to Exercise Duty Act 2015 were acquitted for lack of evidence.
The trio had been charged in connection to 350 cartons each containing 5,000 sticks of super match cigarettes and 40 bags of smuggled wheat bran chicken feeds manufactured in Burundi that were found being offloaded at a residential premise at Shuvumbe area in Kakamega.
They were arrested during an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers on 15th October, 2023 in the residential premise which was still under construction.
The Court also ordered for the forfeiture of the cigarettes valued at Sh26,250,000.
