KRA nabs Sh12m alcohol with fake stamps in Thika

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Friday impounded alcoholic products worth Sh12 million bearing fake excise stamps at a firm in Thika, Kiambu County, after intercepting a lorry that was ferrying them early this week.

Together with the multi-agency team charged with combating illicit trade, KRA impounded 1,600 cartons of the spirit drinks, which were branded Fiesta Special Ice and were packed in 10-litre bottles.

“Earlier in the week, the multi-agency team had received intelligence alert that a six-wheeler lorry was ferrying the drinks affixed with suspected fake excise stamps. The lorry was intercepted and, upon verification, it was confirmed that, indeed, the products were bearing counterfeit excise stamps,” the authority said in a statement Friday.

The authority said the lorry was later driven to the factory alleged to have been manufacturing the drinks where “more casks were seized with counterfeit excise stamps.”

“A verification exercise was carried out at the factory where it was established that the manufacturer runs two parallel production lines. One of the production lines had KRA excise licences while the other was concealed in an adjacent building and was operating without an excise licence,” KRA said.

The authority has secured the company’s premises as it undertakes further investigations.

The multi-agency team said it was continuing with the operation against counterfeit products countrywide to ensure that illicit trade is eliminated.