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Police seize lorry carrying suspected contraband sugar, rice in Wajir

Part of the suspected contraband sugar nabbed by detectives. (Photo: NPS)

By Farhiya Hussein | Wednesday, January 3, 2024

The lorry was intercepted by security officers at the Habaswein road barrier along the Isiolo-Mandera highway.

Security officers in the Habaswein sub-county, located within Wajir County intercepted a lorry, believed to be transporting contraband sugar and rice.

According to a report by the National Police Service, law enforcement officers from both the Kenya Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stationed in Habaswein Sub County intercepted the lorry at the Habaswein Police barrier along the Isiolo-Mandera highway.

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The lorry was intercepted by security officers at the Habaswein road barrier along the Isiolo-Mandera highway. (Photo: NPS)

The interception led to the seizure of the cargo consisting of 560 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilogrammes, labelled as "Brazilian" sugar.

Additionally, the authorities also confiscated 250 bags of "Simba'' rice, each bag weighing 25 kilogrammes.

In May last year, 27 state officials were suspended in connection with the supply of illegal sugar.

The sugar in question was imported to the country in 2018 but was flagged by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) for want of expiry date specification.

Kebs marked the 20,000- 50 kilogrammes bags of sugar as unfit for human consumption.