A multi-agency team comprising of enforcement officers from Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Maua Police Station officers, members of Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK) and the local Administration carried out an operation that led to seizure of second generation worth KShs.6,855,000 in a private residence.
The liquor products, found in various brands, were also affixed with counterfeit excise stamps. The alcoholic drinks were in a rented house at Ikuru area within Maua town in Meru County.
The liquor brands seized comprised of; 256 cartons of Sweet Berry vodka, 815 cartons of Dallas Brandy, 144 cartons of Power Vodka and 156 cartons of Smart Vodka. Each carton contains 20 bottles of 250ml each.
The house was marked as a crime scene whereas the seized goods have been transferred to a Warehouse for safe custody pending further investigations and arrest of the main suspects.
Similarly, multi-agency team have also recovered several counterfeited alcoholic brands at a bar within Masokini area in Tala, Matungulu Sub County in Machakos County with a tax implication of KShs.300,000. The products comprised of 74 cartons of Flying Horse Gin, 3 cartons of Dallas Gin, 36 cartons of Trace Vodka and 3 cartons of Perfect Vodka. Similarly, each carton contains 20 pieces of 250ml bottles. All the products were also transferred to a Warehouse pending investigations and arrest of suspects who fled the scene upon arrival of enforcement teams.
During another operation on Monday, several cartons of spirits and counterfeit excise stamps worth KShs.405,136 were seized in Mang’u, within Thika, Kiambu County. In the same area, an illegal distillery in private home was discovered in Kiamumbi area within Kiambu County where 130 liquor bottles and 836 pieces of excise stamps with tax implication of KShs.98,000 were recovered.
During the last three months, multimillion illegal liquor distillery equipment and several tonnes of alcoholic drinks and smuggled ethanol have been seized in an ongoing crackdown to disrupt an elaborate network of individuals involved in tax evasion schemes in liquor trade.
Three illegally established alcohol distilleries, 1,000 cartons of counterfeited second generation alcohol brands, 56,000 litres of ethanol and 60,000 pieces of counterfeit excise stamps have been impounded in various parts of the country during ongoing tax evasion investigations operations.
KRA enforcement officers with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies have made significant progress in dismantling the network involved in elaborate tax evasion schemes linked to smuggling of ethanol, illegal distilleries, packaging and production of counterfeit excise stamps used in the second generation alcoholic brands as well as distributors of the products.
