This archive report was first published on 5 July 2019.
On July 5, 2019, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers made a significant seizure at the Port of Mombasa, intercepting three containers with smuggled goods worth millions of shillings.
According to KRA Commissioner of Customs and Border Control Kevin Safari, the containers held 144 drums of imported ethanol and a Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle suspected to have been stolen from the United Kingdom.
The ethanol had been mis-declared as 1,000 bags of cement and hidden in spaghetti boxes, while the SUV had been stated as household goods.
"Customs officers have seized another high-end motor-vehicle, a Range Rover Sports suspected to have been stolen from the United Kingdom which had been declared as second-hand window frames, doors, folding chairs, stools and wall pictures," said Mr. Safari in a statement.
The seizure is a significant blow to smugglers, as ethanol importation is restricted and only allowed for licensed firms and dealers in bid to stem the production of illicit alcohol.
According to KRA, the government would have lost Sh12 million in taxes as ethanol attracts an excise duty of Sh6 million per 20-foot container.
