KRA seizes Sh6m alcohol, fake stamps

 The owner of the premises escaped. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Police in Meru netted alcoholic drinks worth Sh6 million with fake excise duty stamps on Tuesday.

Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials and police officers raided a private residence-turned warehouse on the outskirts of Nkubu town and recovered assorted alcohol brands stashed in the stores.

According to KRA official Mutembei Nyaga, the owner of the premises escaped.

The officers found over 2,000 cartons of various brands in the stores, ready to be released to the market.

“We found the goods with fake tax stamps. From the recovered goods, we are talking about Sh6 million (in excise duty) evaded,” said the official.

KRA officers impounded over 2,000 cartons. [Phares Mutembei, Standard]

Mr Nyaga said the agency’s investigative department had gathered intelligence that unscrupulous manufacturers and distributors of various goods had devised a new way of stashing caches in private residences, away from prying eyes in towns.

“Their new modus operandi is hiding the goods bearing counterfeit excise duty stamps in residential plots. Our intelligence officers have been busy trying to get them. The businessman managed to escape, but we are looking for him. We have seen a trend where distributors do not store goods in their stores, but in private houses,” said Nyaga.

Nyaga said KRA was losing up to Sh100 million per month in the Mt Kenya region from goods bearing fake excise duty stamps but said the investigations department had arrested some suspects.

“We are keen on ensuring the evasion of excise duty comes to an end,” he said.