Editor's Review

The cargo was in transit to the Democratic Republic Of Congo (DRC).

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested 18 suspects while offloading a consignment of fabrics at a godown in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

In a statement on Tuesday, March 11, DCI said the cargo was in transit from the port of Mombasa to the Democratic Republic Of Congo (DRC).

The 18 suspects were apprehended on Monday evening after days of surveillance by officers from DCI’s elite Operation Support Unit (OSU).

“The arrest which was effected last evening followed days of surveillance by hawkshaws from the elite Operation Support Unit (OSU), who have been trailing a suspected ring of organized criminals involved in tax fraud by falsely declaring goods as exports but later diverting them into local markets,” the statement read in part.

According to DCI, the trailer carrying the consignment was spotted changing its original registration plates KBT 641G/ZD3436 to KBY 548K at the Machakos Junction.

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File image of a trailer carrying a consignment of fabrics. 

The Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) was also tampered with before the trailer proceeded with the journey towards Nairobi.

“After several stops around the Capital perhaps to find out whether the tampering had been detected, the trailer proceeded with the journey to Mai Mahiu, where the driver assisted by another person decorated the truck with some stickers to further conceal the identity of the trailer,” DCI explained.

The trailer then took a turn to Eastleigh where it was opened and the offloading of the cargo started.

The OSU officers raided the godown and rounded up the 18 suspects including Meshack Leo the driver of the trailer and two store owners, Yusuf Mohammed Noor and Abdi Nasir Dur.

DCI mentioned that preliminary investigations have established that the same syndicate has been under investigation by DCI and KRA Investigations Department whereby it previously diverted 5 trucks with the same type of consignment and consignee.

“It is also believed that the suspects are part of a wider criminal web that has been diverting goods on transit, having mastered the art of compromising RECTS officers manning the trackers and those deployed on the transit corridor to respond in case of an alert on interference of the RECTS seal,” DCI added.

The agency pointed out that imported textile is subjected to higher rates of taxation thus the cartel avoids paying huge amounts of taxes.