This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
On August 11, 2019, a significant incident occurred at the Bollore go down in Changamwe, Mombasa County, Kenya, where 5,000 bags of sugar laced with mercury went missing.
According to area OCPD Daudi Loronyokwe, the consignment was stolen under unclear circumstances, and it is believed that the contaminated sugar might have been stolen alongside 300 sacks of safe sugar three weeks prior to the incident.
Following the theft, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) launched an investigation and arrested seven suspects linked to the disappearance of the consignment.
A manhunt was also launched for a security guard who was at the warehouse and is reported to have gone into hiding after the incident.
The missing batch was part of thousands of bags of sugar that were impounded by government authorities last year due to contamination with mercury and other compounds that pose health risks to consumers.
