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20 containers with illegal goods seized at Joho-linked firm

CONTAINERSNAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Twenty more containers with contraband sugar and ethanol were on Wednesday seized at the Autoport Container Freight Station which is owned by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho’s family.

KRA Commissioner in Charge of Customs & Border Control Julius Musyoki, says they also seized another 40 foot container loaded with 135 drums of a liquid product suspected to be ethanol with an estimated tax value of Sh11 million.

“Ongoing investigations, at Container Freight Stations in Mombasa by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have unearthed several containers loaded with contraband goods,” he said.

“Investigators undertaking the probe at Autoport Container Freight Station, which was ordered closed last month, have discovered a fresh list of cargo containers loaded with imported sugar and ethanol products.”

Musyoki says the containers will be subjected to further verification as investigations into the smuggling racket continue.

Autoport freight station was ordered closed last month after contraband goods were found there and destroyed.

The sugar consignment, which was discovered at Autoport CFS had been declared as a floor sanding machine and related hardware tools that have an estimated tax value of Sh36million.

Musyoki says “The consignment will be subjected to further assessments.”

Once formally confirmed to be holding contraband items, he said the consignments will be forfeited to the State for destruction.

“Such destruction should serve as a stern warning to unscrupulous traders engaging in contraband commodities trade,” he cautioned.

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“We are also in pursuit of the listed importers, for whom we shall be seeking to arraign in court.”

He said KRA will not relent on this front, “as we strive to guarantee revenue collection and national security.”

In recent weeks, KRA has managed to swiftly plug potential revenue leakage holes in the lucrative import cargo sector with a raft of new customs procedures.

The new procedures cover the running of existing Container Freight Stations under a more stringent and tightly controlled regime.

To provide the necessary legal muscle to underpin the new regulations, KRA Gazetted the new regulations and procedures governing the operation of transit sheds late last year.

This is in line with the provisions of the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004, and East African Customs Management Regulations.

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