The police have arrested two individuals allegedly involved in the illegal import of contraband sugar into the country.
On Sunday, Kitui police nabbed Simon Mwangi, the owner of Mt Kenya Wholesalers which is a leading goods distributor in lower Eastern regions and Central kenya.
Kitui Central OCPD Muthuri Mwongera indicated that they were investigating the documents presented by Mr Mwangi in a bid to find out the source of the sugar, individuals involved and the chain of distribution in the country.
“He will most likely be arraigned in court on Monday and we will have completed our investigations by then,” Mwongera mentioned.
The businessman was apprehended after hundreds of bags of contraband sugar were seized in his company’s warehouses.
[caption caption="lorry ferrying contraband sugar"]
[/caption]
The police boss also stated that they had put the warehouses under a 24-hour police guard and surveillance.
In Western Kenya, a manager of one of the milling companies was arrested in connection to the import of the sugar and is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.
Flying Squad Commandant Musa Yego, who led the operation, however, refused to reveal the identity of the individual.
Four companies from the region are also under investigation after 130,000 bags of contraband sugar were nabbed during the weekend.
The raw sugar, suspected to have originated from Brazil is repackaged into paper bags like the ones used locally, a tactic used to deceive consumers.
A chemical study of the sugar showed that it is laced with mercury and copper which are used as synthetic sweeteners.
[caption caption="file photo"]
[/caption]
