Forty-four containers of smuggled sugar and condemned rice were Friday destroyed in the Indian Ocean.
Kenya
Revenue Authority, Kenya Ports Authority officials and security
officers escorted a barge that was filled with sugar and rice from 44
containers and dumped into the ocean.
The
1,000 tonnes capacity China Road and Bridge Corporation-owned barge Si
Hang Ni 25 was loaded with the rice and sugar on Wednesday. Friday it
sailed into the ocean’s deep waters.
The
vessel set off from the port of Mombasa at 8.30am and the goods were
emptied out into the ocean at 10.20am, 15 kilometres away.
Goods in 45 other containers at the port will also be destroyed as the government sends a strong message to smugglers.
The
consignment of illegally imported Brazilian sugar was declared as
hardware material, lentils, photocopiers, office furniture, new shoes
and dried grapes.
It was stored at
the Autoport, Focus and MCT cargo freight stations in Mombasa and was
intercepted mid-January by the revenue authority, the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations.
The destruction comes
barely a week after the taxman closed down two container freight
stations in Mombasa amid claims of smuggling of multi-million--shilling
goods.
Revenue authority Commissioner-General John Njiraini said he was determined to continue with the war on illicit trade.
In
a statement issued on Wednesday, Mr Njiraini said the rice consignment
stored at Compact freight station was destined for Uganda but whose
owners failed to claim it, was legally imported.
He said this explains why Compact Freight Station was not closed.
UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION
The Kenya Bureau of Standards condemned the rice, saying it was unfit for human consumption. It too was destroyed Friday.
While
presiding over the destruction of contraband goods worth Sh300 million
at the Mwakirunge dumping site on January 21, President Uhuru Kenyatta
said owners of illicit goods should be arrested.
He
directed security agents to hasten the investigation of individuals
behind the illegal imports that were destined for the local market.
However,
the identities of those behind the illegal multi-million-shilling
business have not yet been unmasked despite ongoing investigations.
The Kenya Revenue Authority is proceeding with plans to streamline the cargo importation process.
Revenue
authority bosses from the five East African Community countries met in
Nairobi on Thursday and yesterday to review progress on transit
control.
They will also discuss the implementation of the regional cargo tracking platform expected to be in place by June 2016.
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