The Kenya Revenue Authority has intercepted over 9.3 million sticks of contraband cigarettes, valued at Sh281.1 million, at the Port of Mombasa, foiling an attempt to illegally import the goods.
The cigarettes were found in a 40-feet container during a multi-agency verification exercise conducted on intelligence received by KRA.
A 100% physical examination was carried out to ensure compliance with tax, standards, and enforcement regulations.
“Given the nature of the cargo, a 100% physical examination was conducted to ensure compliance with tax, standards, and enforcement regulations,” Account Executive Hilda Rutere said in a statement on Friday.
The operation involved officers from KRA, the Port Police, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA), Port Health Services, and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
The inspection confirmed 937 cartons, containing 9,370,000 sticks of cigarettes, labeled as “Made in Sudan” although the consignment originated from Cambodia.
KRA said the shipment had been routed via Singapore and was destined for South Sudan.
According to the authority, the total unpaid taxes on the cargo were Sh83,393,000, including Sh38.4 million in excise duty and Sh44.9 million in Value Added Tax (VAT).
Rutere said the interception highlights the authority’s commitment to border control, protecting society, and ensuring a level playing field for legitimate traders.
“Illicit trade undermines revenue collection and harms honest businesses. KRA remains vigilant in safeguarding national revenue and enforcing fair market competition,” Rutere said.
The authority urged the public and traders to report suspicious consignments to help curb smuggling and protect the country’s economic interests.
Barely a week ago, KRA reported that it intercepted a consignment of illicit ethanol worth Sh16.26 million near the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) corridor in Nairobi.
This was resultant of an operation prompted by an intelligence tip-off about the movement of unlawful ethanol in the area.
The authority said officers went to the location after receiving information of sighting of lorries suspected to be transporting ethanol.
However, upon arrival, the lorries had since departed. Despite this, the enforcement team recovered the illicit ethanol that had been offloaded and stored within the yard.
They managed to seize 20 drums, each with a capacity of 250 litres, totaling 5,000 litres of ethanol.
"Preliminary assessments estimate that the seized ethanol, if compounded and released into the market, would have yielded approximately 48,200 bottles, with an estimated market value of Sh14.46 million,” KRA said.
A vehicle recovered at the scene was valued at Sh1.8 million, bringing the total value of goods seized to Sh16.26 million, the authority added.
An KRA showed that tax losses would have amounted to Sh7.42 million if the ethanol had reached the market, which includes Sh2.6 million in Value Added Tax (VAT) and Sh4.82 million in excise duty.
Comments 0
Sign in to join the conversation
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!