Cross-border security team steps up surveillance to tame illicit trade

Contraband goods seized by police in a sting operation in Marachi slum, Busia town. [File, Standard]

A cross-border security team has been formed to deal with illicit trade at the porous crossing points.

Security agencies in Trans Nzoia and Bokwo have scaled up efforts to stamp out the sale of contraband goods between the two countries.

Security agencies are expected to enhance the safety of goods, protect the local economy and save traders from the two countries from falling prey to illegal business along the border.

According to the National Crime Research Centre, sugar is the most smuggled goods along the western region and accounts for 48 per cent of goods smuggled in the region by Sugar cartels operating along the Kenya-Uganda border.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Paul Wambugu disclosed that several cases are being profiled and monitored for action to be taken against the unscrupulous traders.

Wambugu noted that security agencies had deployed a multi-agency approach to help tame the smuggling of goods between the two countries.

“We are working so closely, especially during this festive season so that we don’t have any contraband coming in or even from our end seeking outside our neighbouring country,” noted Wambugu during a security update on the festive season.

He observed that the county security team has also mapped the porous border points to curb the smuggling of goods along the Kenya –Uganda border.

The Police commander warned those involved in the business to quit the illegal business or they would face the wrath of the law; This includes a well-established network of business networks for contraband goods in the region.

“We have done our operational order according to the needs and deployed officers to ensure that we beef up our security, especially along the border,” he added.

The Standard has established that Morlem and other areas along the border in the Endebess sub-county are entry points for smuggled goods that find their way into the Kenyan market.

Last year, Uganda tightened import conditions for a wider range of commonly smuggled goods, handing a boost to the Kenyan traders and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) long inconvenienced by smugglers from the neighbouring country.

KRA has been working to step up measures to contain the smuggling of goods along the Kenya–Uganda border with the construction of a multimillion one-stop border post at Suam expected to enhance surveillance to contain the illegal business.

The efforts jointly undertaken by Kenya and Uganda target to close in on unscrupulous businessmen who use illegal routes to smuggle goods into and out of the country to evade tax.