A section of importers accused some Eldoret airport officials of being party to a mobile phone smuggling racket.
They argued that even after alerting the officials about a cargo flown in on Wednesday, April 9, which needed to be taxed as per requirement, it was allowed to pass under unclear circumstances.
The group said that cargo containing electronic goods, particularly mobile phones, was allowed to pass without having taxes levied on it.
“We alerted them about the same. Instead, they allowed it to be smuggled in at a fee. We are hurt, and those who care to listen need to take action,” said the dealers.
The dealers stated that the airport is becoming a centre for mobile phone smuggling and should be investigated.
“We want fairness in this business and for dealers to pay taxes. What we are witnessing is corruption of the highest order.”
“A group of dealers is behind all this,” they said, revealing that another plane with similar cargo was expected on Thursday, April 10.
The dealers had petitioned top Kenya Revenue Authority officials to investigate claims of smuggling goods valued at millions of shillings at the Eldoret International Airport.
This has led to the loss of taxes running into billions of shillings, they claimed.
The group, which imports electronic goods, particularly high-end mobile phones, cited one cargo that landed at Eldoret Airport and was later smuggled out by waiting people.
They claimed that no duty was paid on the gadgets.
The dealers sent messages to top officials at KRA alerting them about the incident, claiming that the cargo weighed about 40 tonnes and contained thousands of assorted mobile phones.
“We have asked the top officials there to investigate these acts being carried out by six staff members. The country is losing billions due to this issue,” they said.
They argued that they are being disadvantaged by the trend at the airport due to corruption.
The smuggled goods are later driven to Nairobi’s Luthuli Avenue and sold to unsuspecting suppliers and buyers.
The development has prompted those being forced to pay taxes to import the gadgets to alert the authorities.
“They usually bring in high-end mobile phones like iPhones and Samsung, which, if paid for, could generate billions,” one dealer said.
The group said two more planes were expected at the airport on Wednesday with more cargo running to more than 45 tonnes.
Sources said a team had been sent from Nairobi to visit the airport and verify the claims.
There was no immediate or official comment from the taxman on the matter.
Past such claims had led to reshuffling at the airport, but the smuggling did not stop, the group claimed.
Dealers Petition KRA to Probe Phone Smuggling Racket at Eldoret Airport
The government had directed that most cargo planes should land at Eldoret as part of efforts to make it busy and viable.
But over the years, airport officials have been accused of enabling tax evasion.
A probe is ongoing into the matter.
This follows revelations of rampant tax evasion through undervaluation and failure to inspect goods.
Four major companies have been implicated in smuggling dozens of smartphones into the country.
This has led to losses valued at millions of shillings, as KRA struggles to collect more revenue.
The gang also uses Eldoret Airport, Namanga, Lungalunga, Taveta, Malaba, and Busia borders.
They further ship at the Mombasa port and some through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The managers of the companies boast of having paid-off officers at the entry points to facilitate their operations.
They also pay eight dollars per kilo of the targeted cargo when it should be per piece.
“They are paying eight dollars per kilo for goods targeted instead of it being per piece. This has denied us a lot of money,” said one official familiar with the issue.
