The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) in collaboration with other government agencies have nabbed a consignment of counterfeit alcoholic drinks estimated to be worth Sh16 million in Nyaiwa village in Nyamira town.
NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa who led officers from National Police Service, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) arrested a notorious rogue trader on Wednesday who packages counterfeit alcoholic drinks and distributes them in the region.
The CEO confirmed that they recovered a variety of contraband alcoholic drinks some of which had fake KRA stamps and worse some brand labels did not match the stamps registered with KRA, an indication of tampered and fraudulent packaging worth millions of shillings.
“This crackdown is aimed at protecting innocent Kenyans from consuming poisonous alcoholic drinks which have fatal health implications to partakers of such uncertified drinks and cushion financial losses to legitimate business operators in this town and beyond. Samples of the alcohol will be taken for testing to ascertain their safety. Manufacturing of illicit alcohol is a complex enterprise often carried out in high secrecy making it difficult to detect or even suspect that such an illegal business is going on even within the same place where ordinary people stay,” CEO Omerikwa explained.
“We have managed to arrest one person within the premises suspected to be an employee of this illegal depot and he is helping our investigation team with crucial information to pursue the alleged female owner of this rogue operation and her entire syndicate linked with this illegal business to face full force of the law,” The NACADA CEO confirmed.
The CEO revealed that notorious illicit alcoholic brands ‘Trigger’ and ‘Dallas’ are under probe in a countrywide crackdown since they are suspected to be at the centre of Kenya’s ongoing war against illicit alcoholic drinks manufacturing networks linked to unsafe products, clandestine distribution and tax evasion businesses.
Nyamira Sub County Police Commander Martin Wambugua stated that they were collaborating closely with relevant state agencies and investigations have commenced to ascertain the extent of this illegal business and unearth other clandestine manufacturers and distributors.
“NACADA has launched investigations into unlicensed alcohol manufacturers as part of an intensified crackdown on illicit brew and counterfeit alcohol in this town and its environs. Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has been tasked to investigate tax compliance while the assets Recovery agency (ARA) will attach any property found to be connected to this illegal trade. Our police are pursuing the alleged owner of this outlet and other accomplices and ensure they are brought to book,” the Sub County Police Commander said.
The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Internal Security and National Administration Kipchumba Murkomen issued a directive last month calling for the use of a multi-agency approach to intensify the fight against illicit brew and other illegal alcoholic beverages.
By Deborah Bochere & Joseph Sagini
