A multi-agency sting operation team led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has recovered 16 tonnes of illegally imported powder milk in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi.
The team comprising officers from Kenya Dairy Board and Kenya Revenue Authority, acting on a tip-off from members of the public, broke into the godown where the product was being repackaged.
As a precautionary measure, the officers cordoned off the godown before the workers could escape their dragnet.
Inside the godown, the officers caught workers rebranding the powdered milk in locally configured packets. The staff were apprehended and grilled on the spot, as the police sought information on the warehouse and its owner.
Detectives, while addressing the raid, highlighted that the case was alarming as traders lacked supporting documents to back their imports.
Information labelled on the rebranded packages was also said to be misleading. Police were yet to ascertain the ingredients used to repackage the milk.
They, therefore, ferried the consignment from Eastleigh to a government facility along Mombasa Road, to conduct further analysis.
Preliminary investigations showed that the milk was not labelled and described as required by Kenyan laws. The milk also lacked the certification of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
Officers from the Kenya Dairy Board explained that they had commenced ascertaining if the milk was fit for human consumption or if it posed a health risk.
It added that it was working to crack down on the illegal importation of milk-related food products, and urged consumers to be vigilant and only buy the products from reputable sources.
The investigation agencies, however, did not clarify whether the product had reached the market.
They, nonetheless, urged members of the public with information on the warehouse and its operations to assist the police in the investigations by providing tip-offs and other valuable insights.
