Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided an estate in Nairobi on Tuesday, May 16, and retrieved Ksh75 million worth of expired goods.
According to the DCI, bags of powdered milk had been flagged as unfit for human consumption by officials from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) at the Port of Mombasa.
The detectives acted on a tip-off from the residents in the area who noticed the goods were set to be repackaged for sale to the public.
Following the tip-off the detectives moved with speed and raided the premises where 25-kilogram bags which had the labels detailing their expiry dates removed and were ready for repackaging were found.
According to DCI, through the illegal shipment, the government lost over Ksh32 million in unpaid taxes.
The bags of powdered milk were declared unfit at the port but were reportedly sneaked out and found in the Umoja III Mowlem area.
"How the milk that had been condemned and was due for destruction found its way to a godown in Umoja III’s Mowlem area is the current mystery that the sleuths are trying to unravel," DCI detailed.
The detectives, as a result, launched a manhunt for the mastermind behind the scheme which would have caused dire consequences to Nairobi citizen's health.
Furthermore, the detective sought to recover the other bags after confirming that a total of 1,511 bags of powdered milk had been flagged by KEBS at the port.
"We thank the member of the public who provided information regarding the consignment and call upon the larger public to emulate this example, for our collective safety and security," DCI stated.
The operation was carried out by sleuths from the Economic & Commercial Crimes Unit (ECCU), a unit of the DCI, and officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
ECCU deals with matters of economic crimes and receives complaints through the complaints section or through DCI. The unit also makes arrests.
