Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) recovered 2,021 litres of diesel and 600 litres of petrol at Pipeline area in Nakuru County on Friday, September 27.
According to the DCI Facebook page, the operation was carried out by a multi-agency team in the Resolute Operation on Adulterated Fuel.
The team arrested four suspects in connection with 500 litres of diesel that was being ferried in a tanker.
The four suspects, David Mathenge, Felix Oduor, Joshua Njoroge and Stephen Kamande were taken into custody awaiting arraignment in court.
The sting operation involved officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), National Police Service (NPS), National Intelligence Service (NIS), Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA) and National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).
This comes barely three months after the Energy Petroleum and Regulatory Authority (EPRA) exposed seven petrol stations for selling adulterated fuel.
On June 25, 2019, it was reported that out of the 862 stations that were flagged, seven were found to have petrol that was below the required industry standards.
The stations, identified as Waumini Fuel Station in Trans Nzoia, Magharibi Station in Bungoma, Rubern Igunza in Busia, Kodiaga and Desnol Kisian in Kisumu, Panam and Corldori both in Homa Bay, were found to be selling sub-standard fuel.
EPRA Director Pavel Oiemeke reported that the regulatory authority had put measures to monitor the quality of motor fuel.
Oiemeke, in collaboration with DCI and NPS, closed more than five sites and recovered over 1,000 litres of petroleum products.
The Daily Nation in April 2019, reported that Oimeke and a team of detectives also found 6,500 litres of adulterated fuel in Industrial Area, Nairobi.
"As an authority, we are alarmed by this. We need information to be able to close these illegal dens as they are a danger to human lives in case of an explosion and even to vehicles that use that as fuel," he reported.
Adulterating fuel involves the addition of an inferior product to either diesel or petrol, therefore, weakening their quality.
