KRA intercepts high-end vehicles smuggled from UK

One of the vehicles intercepted by KRA at the Port of Mombasa [Photo, Courtesy]

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted two high-end motor vehicles at the Port of Mombasa suspected to have been stolen from the United Kingdom.

According to import documents, the Range Rover Sport cars, which were subject of an international motor vehicle crime and smuggling investigation, were on transit to Uganda.

On 9th May 2019, customs officers in Mombasa received intelligence to the effect that two 20-foot containers on board a ship sailing to the Port of Mombasa was suspected to be stolen motor vehicles from the United Kingdom.

The containers arrived at the port on the 11th May 2019 aboard MV. MSC Positano from Oman and had not been declared.

The two containers were subjected to x-ray cargo scanning on 20th May, 2019 with the images revealing the presence of top of the range motor vehicles.

 Thereafter, a multi-agency team led by Customs officials undertook a verification exercise on 28th May 2019 confirming the containers were loaded with the high-end vehicles. 

A multi-agency team involving KRA, National Security Agencies, Interpol, United Kingdom Authorities and other international partners are working together in investigations to break the syndicate involving the smuggling of stolen high-end vehicles from UK. 

The governments of Kenya and that of the United Kingdom recently spearheaded the re-exportation of 12 high-end vehicles which had earlier been seized by KRA after being smuggled into the Country as transit goods through the Port of Mombasa.