The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Wednesday confiscated 20 more containers of contraband sugar and ethanol at Autoport Container Freight Station which is linked to Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s family.
KRA Customs and Border Control Commissioner Julius Musyoki said further investigations into the closed station unearthed more cargo containers loaded with illegally imported sugar and ethanol.
20 containers of smuggled sugar and ethanol were found in the freight station, one of the two facilities associated with Joho’s family that were raided in January.
The KRA officials said the sugar consignment had been mis-declared as floor sanding machine and related hardware tools, with an estimated tax value of Sh36 million.
“During the investigations, a 40 foot container with 135 drums of a liquid product suspected to be ethanol with a tax value of Sh11 million was also discovered,” said Musyoki.
Mr Musyoki added that the consignment would be subjected to further assessment and once confirmed to be holding contraband products, the consignment will be destroyed.
“The contents of these containers will be destroyed after they have been subjected to further assessments. The destruction should serve as a stern warning to unscrupulous traders engaging in contraband trade. This is part of our measures to curb this practice,” said the commissioner.
He added, “We are also in pursuit of the listed importers, whom we shall be seeking to arraign in court.”