Police in Garissa County have impounded 400 bags of 25kgs brown sugar at Nuno along the Modika-Modogashe road 50 Kms from Garissa town.
The officers, accompanied by officials from the customs department, intercepted the sugar while it was being transported in a lorry.
Garissa County police commander Alfred Ongengo said they intercepted the sugar which is believed to have been imported illegally from Brazil following a tip off.
The driver of the vehicle transporting the contraband sugar managed to escape but a manhunt has been launched.
According to kbc.co.ke, Ongengo said they believe the sugar was being transported to a local businessman who operates a wholesale shop in the Northern region.
“We were alerted about the arrival of a suspicious consignment of imported sugar. The exact destination of the illegally imported sugar is not clear but preliminary investigations reveal it was being taken to a wholesale shop of a prominent businessman in the region,” added the police commander.
He said that the operation will continue in order to protect the public from consuming substandard goods and to stop import of goods into the country without payment of tax.
Ongengo warned that the war against contraband goods would continue adding that rogue government officials working together with unscrupulous businessmen to sell illegal goods in the local market will be arrested and prosecuted.