Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Makindu, Makueni County on Saturday recovered about 2500 kg of sugar....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
According to reports, the suspected counterfeit sugar was recovered during an early morning operation by a multiagency team consisting of police officers and detectives from Makindu.
In the operation, the officers made an impromptu raid on the white lorry, upon search, the officers recovered several sacks of the consignment packed in the lorry.
The officers arrested the driver who in a bid to escape the police radar went ahead to produce two delivery notes for the sacks of sugar.
The officers were able to identify the sugar as counterfeit after proper scrutiny which exposed loopholes in the package that was being transported to the market for sale.
According to DCI detectives, the sugar was packed in sacks branded with the name of a popular sugar milling company in the country.
It was further identified that the manufacturing and expiry dates were handwritten, a factor which further contravened the authenticity of the product.
The arrest comes barely a month after the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) raised concerns about the surge in the sale of illicit products in the country.
KAM while lamenting about the matter, claimed that the illicit trade barred the government from collecting adequate revenue to run its affairs.
According to the manufacturers, most of the counterfeit products such as sugar, milk and alcohol powder only benefitted the manufacturer who would not pay the required taxes and levies.
“Illicit trade poses unfair competition in the market and ends up shrinking the market share of genuine investors, thus damaging their brand reputation among other negative impacts to the local industries,” the manufacturers noted.
“A case in point is the continued shrinking of the alcoholic beverages and cigarette industry in Kenya due to illicit trade,” KAM further claimed..CONTINUE READING>>
