A consignment of unaccustomed powdered milk worth over Ksh75 million has been recovered by detectives in a raid at a go-down located in Nairobi’s Eastlands suburbs.
In the well-coordinated operation conducted by sleuths from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers, 1,511 bags of powdered milk that had previously been declared unfit for human consumption at the Port of Mombasa, were recovered.
How the milk that had been condemned and was due for destruction found its way to a godown in Umoja III’s Mowlem area, is the current mystery that the sleuths are trying to unravel.
It is suspected that the consignment was sneaked from a Mombasa-based godown, before being hauled to Nairobi secretly for repackaging, to be sold to unsuspecting members of the public.
The detectives who were acting on intelligence received via the #FichuakwaDCI hotline, moved with speed and raided the premises where the 25-Kg bags which had the labels detailing their expiry dates removed and were ready for repackaging, were found.
Manhunt for culprits
The illegal shipment in which the Government lost over Ksh32 million in unpaid taxes was immediately declared unfit for human consumption, by officials from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Detectives have since launched a manhunt for the mastermind behind the high-level scheme which would have had devastating consequences on the health of Kenyans, had the powdered milk found its way to the local market.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has also thanked the member of the public who provided information regarding the consignment and called upon the larger public to emulate this example, “for our collective safety and security).
