Three arrested as NACADA seizes counterfeit alcohol and uncustomed cigarettes in Meru
A NACADA-led multi-agency security operation has dismantled an illicit alcohol and contraband cigarette network in Laare Division, Igembe North Subcounty, Meru County.
The early morning raid resulted in the seizure of thousands of bottles of suspected counterfeit alcohol across various brands and more than 900 packets of uncustomed cigarettes.
Three suspects, including a distributor described by police as influential in the area, were arrested.
The operation, coordinated by NACADA enforcement officers alongside local police, targeted a compound that had been under surveillance for weeks.
Inside a storeroom, officers discovered a stockpile of fake spirits bearing counterfeit excise stamps, alongside cartons of contraband cigarettes.
The suspects are expected to be arraigned pending chemical analysis of the seized beverages.
NACADA said the main suspect had been on its radar for a long time and was allegedly using a network of boda boda riders and local kiosks to distribute the products.
The operation is part of a renewed nationwide crackdown on illicit alcohol and drugs, following a surge in cases of methanol poisoning and drug abuse among the youth.
NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa commended the multi-agency team and issued a warning to those involved in the illicit trade.
“As part of the response to the increased alcohol counterfeiting and drug use countrywide, the Authority is leaving no stone unturned in bringing to book all those involved in this criminal enterprise,” said Omerikwa.
He also expressed gratitude to the public for their role in the successful operation.
“We thank the public for volunteering information which has led to this successful operation. We encourage them to keep sharing the same with the Authority to help us keep our communities safe from drugs,” he added.
Local residents welcomed the arrests, saying the illicit trade had destroyed young lives. One resident told our reporter that two young men from the village were buried last month after consuming a black-bottle brew.
Officials urged continued vigilance.
The suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
