Nyandarua, Kenya July 20 – A multi-agency team in Ndaragwa Sub-County in Nyandarua, has seized a consignment of illicit liquor manufactured and packaged in a homestead.
During the raid, counterfeit KRA rolls of stamps, empty bottles, unmarked bottle tops, seals and suspected ethanol were seized.
The Multi-agency team comprising of Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Investigation Department, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA),officers from Domestic Tax, Enforcement Department, Central Region -Nyeri, Scene of Crime personnel from Nyahururu and the National Police Service (NPS) officers led by the County Police Commander Nyandarua and NGAO team led by the Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Nyandarua North, visited the scene after a tip-off from the local residents of suspected dubious activities in the compound.
Ndaragwa Deputy County Commissioner(DCC), Walter Ngaira and the Nyandarua County Police Commander, Omar Arero, have vowed to run a serious crackdown on all the illicit brew dens or suspected packagers in the region.
“I want to thank the team led by the County Police Commander, because through intelligence we were able to come to this residence and we have been able to nab people in the process of producing and packaging illicit liquor. Our officers have ensured they have secured the premises. The owner is still at large but two workers have been arrested inside packaging the liquor.”
“We shall start a serious operation of similar nature to ensure that all illicit liquor makers and packagers are nabbed. We want to warn the traders in such a trade that their days are numbered. We shall extend our operation to ensure that what is sold to our people is safe and approved by the relevant agencies,” said Ngaira.
The supplier is believed to have been supplying illicit liquor in various major towns within Nyandarua and Laikipia counties.
The assorted drinks seized included: 800 litres of suspected ethanol, Santana Ice 500ML- 375 Bottle, Mara Ice 500ml- 75 Bottles, Diamond Ice 500ml- 262 Bottles, Darling Ice 500ml- 175 Bottles, Chrome Vodka 250ml- 155 Bottles, Kibao Vodka 250ml -45 Bottles, Smart Vodka 250ml- 140 Bottles, KRA Counterfeit Stamps 1 1/2 rolls, Bunches of Alcoholic Drinks Stickers of Various Brands: Smart, Spike and Shujaa.
Other items recovered in the same house included: One Capping Machine, Assorted used and unused metallic bottle tops, 728- Plastic Bottle tops with Seals, 888 Pieces of empty 250ml bottles, Other 10 bags of 50kgs each with unlabeled 250ml bottles and four empty plastic tanks of 200 litres each.
The scene was processed and documented by various agencies. All exhibits were seized for further action by the Investigation Department, the police and KRA.
Mid last year four people succumbed to illicit liquor in Nyahururu town and two others were hospitalized with serious sight and stomach complications.
