Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives on Saturday arrested 32 top officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) over corrupt practices.
The 32 were taken to the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road where they remained in custody for questioning.
The arrested KRA officials arrested were named as follows: Kiprono Bullut, David Mbogori, Dorothy Wanja, Michael Juma and Ahmed Dhahi.
According to the DCI, the five will be charged for willingly permitting the release into the market, a consignment of substandard Thai white rice.
Former Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Charles Ongwae was also among those who were taken in by the DCI detectives.
Other KEBS officials arrested include Erick Chesire, Martin Nyakiamo, Erick Onyango, Peter Ndungu, Daniel Kimonge, Roy Mwanthi, Karim Dharamshi, Felix Makau Simon, Bassam Hakem, Irene Githendu and Port Health official Pole Mwangemi.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) was roped in to ensure the suspects are charged in court.
The government officials have been known to resell already condemned goods at the port that are scheduled for destruction or auction.
In July, three KRA officials were arrested after they raked in Ksh40 Million from the sale of ethanol that had been imported under a false log.
"Upon verification, they were not auctioned on the basis that they did not match the description.
"KRA lab experts identified the substance as ethanol set it aside for destruction," KRA commissioner for intelligence and strategic operation Mr Giithi Mburu reported in a statement at the time.
