Security agents in Mandera town have destroyed counterfeit goods worth more than Sh5 million destined for the Kenyan market.
Mandera County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka said the goods were destroyed following a court ruling that ordered for the destruction of the contraband goods.
A local court had earlier made the ruling after it was established that the goods were sneaked into Mandera town from neighboring Somali by unscrupulous traders.
The court ruled that the goods are not fit for human consumption as provided by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs).
Some of the items destroyed at Qarbakole dumping site include wheat and maize flour, cooking fat, sugar, detergents and other household goods.
Commissioner Olaka who oversaw the exercise said the goods were seized by the security team comprising of the KDF, KRA and police officers.
He said the illegal goods were concealed to evade payment of tax while some were found to be counterfeit or substandard products adding that the government is losing millions to counterfeit products.
“We grow our economy using taxes collected from import duty and other forms of taxation and it will be wrong to allow people to smuggle goods under the pretext of cheapness," he said.
“I have had discussions with Kenya National Chambers of Commerce officials and they assured me they have the capacity to avail cheap goods to residents,” said Olaka as quoted by mediamaxnetwork.co.ke.
The Commissioner who urged Kenyans to support their efforts in ending the illegal trade said stern action will be taken against anyone found smuggling contraband goods into the country.