This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 4, 2019, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) intercepted two twenty-foot containers at the Port of Mombasa, containing 144 drums of imported ethanol worth millions of shillings in taxes.
The containers were declared as 1000 bags of cement, but a multi-agency team led by KRA discovered that the ethanol was concealed in the drums, with each drum holding 200 liters of the liquid.
The ethanol was hidden behind 285 boxes of spaghetti at the entrance of the containers to prevent detection.
The mode of concealment was similar to that of four twenty-foot containers intercepted at the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Nairobi earlier.
According to KRA, the importation of ethanol is restricted, with only licensed firms and dealers allowed to import the product to reduce the manufacturing of illicit alcohol.
Had the smugglers succeeded, KRA could have lost at least Sh12 million in taxes, as ethanol attracts an excise duty of Sh6 million per 20-foot container.
Additionally, KRA officials seized a high-end Range Rover Sport, suspected to have been stolen from the United Kingdom, which was declared as second-hand window frames, doors, folding chairs, stools, and wall pictures.
The manifest showed the consignor for the vehicle was in Dubai, UAE, while the consignee was in Kampala, Uganda.
