Police in Busia seize contraband sugar worth Kshs 2M

Police in Busia County have impounded 400 bags containing 50kg each of contraband sugar worth Kshs 2 million from Uganda.

The officers, who were acting on a tip-off from the public, also arrested three suspects who were transporting the sugar suspected to have been smuggled from Uganda.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the sweetener was nabbed in the suspect’s home at Nasira village, Nambale Sub- County, Busia County.

The owner of the home managed to escape from the scene but police arrested his daughter who is helping in the investigation.

The police at the scene also managed to seize the sacks of sugar and the machine used for packing it.

Busia County Police Commander, Maxwell Nyaema, who led the operation that led to the capture of the sugar, found the sugar ready for transportation to various parts of the country.

The police revealed that sugar was packed initially in sacks of Lungozi Company, a Ugandan sugar processing entity, but later repacked in sacks labelled Nzoia sugar.

Busia Police Boss said the police hunting for the suspect who is on the run and will be arraigned once arrested and investigations are concluded.

The illegal sugar consignment was smuggled into the country through porous borders around Busia, according to Nyaema.

A multi-agency security team comprising officers from the DCI, Customs and the Kenya Revenue Authority is already on the ground to establish how the sugar was smuggled into the country.

The arrests come barely weeks after police impounded over 500 bags of sugar being smuggled from Uganda in Marachi area in Busia town. “The sugar had been detained at Nambale Police Station as the police continued with their investigation,” said Nyamae

It was taken to the police station as the search for the suspect was intensified where the police commander vowed to end the illegal business.

Besides sugar, police have in the recent past nabbed other contraband goods that include alcohol, arresting many suspects involved individuals in the process following numerous crackdown activities aimed at putting an end to the illegal business in the County.