7 Arrested as DCI Dismantles Counterfeit Maize Flour Syndicate in Kasarani

Seven suspects have been arrested after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) raided a godown in Canaan area near Infinity Industrial Park in Kasarani Sub-County, uncovering an alleged counterfeit maize flour repackaging operation.

In a statement on Tuesday, September 15, the agency said the operation followed intelligence received by detectives concerning a racket suspected of flooding the Kenyan market with counterfeit maize flour products.

The DCI said the raid exposed a large-scale operation involving the repackaging and redistribution of maize flour using fake labels designed to deceive consumers.

"Acting on credible intelligence, detectives stormed the premises and unearthed a full-blown repackaging operation, walking away with thousands of counterfeit packets and seven suspects in tow," the statement read.

According to investigators, the godown had allegedly been converted into a covert facility where different maize flour brands were repackaged and redistributed using labels resembling those of genuine products.

"Investigations established that the godown had been transformed into a covert factory of fraud, where assorted maize flour brands were being illegally repackaged and redistributed under fake labelling, deceiving unsuspecting consumers into buying products that were not what they claimed to be," the statement added.

According to the DCI, those arrested include Felix Kiprop, an employee of SARA Flour Brand, and Cynthia Nakoli, a salesperson attached to the same brand.

Also arrested were loaders Joseph Kariuki and Victor Omondi Opiyo, driver Daniel Ngugi, as well as Maria Ngui and Samuel Kimilu, who were apprehended at the scene as detectives dismantled the operation.

During the raid, detectives recovered 3,682 packets of a popular corn maize flour brand valued at approximately Ksh312,120.

Hundreds of packets bearing three other well-known flour brands were also recovered, pushing the total value of the suspected counterfeit products into hundreds of thousands of shillings.

The DCI said the items recovered at the godown pointed to an organised operation equipped to produce and distribute counterfeit products on a large scale.

"The scene told the story of a well-oiled counterfeiting enterprise: stacks of empty packaging bearing the branding of several genuine maize flour companies, a Hyundai lorry, Registration No. KBR 092K, caught red-handed being loaded with the illicit products, and an array of industrial processing and packaging machinery, weighing equipment, bag-sealing tools, and date and batch marking stamps used to imprint false product information onto fake packaging, all pointing to a syndicate built to deceive on an industrial scale," the statement noted.

Investigators also raised concerns after discovering discarded one-kilogram packaging that closely resembled that of a well-known maize flour brand.

A representative of the affected brand who arrived at the scene reportedly confirmed that the packaging closely resembled his company's branding, although the company does not manufacture one-kilogram packets.

"A representative of the affected brand who rushed to the scene confirmed that while the packaging bore a striking resemblance to his company's branding, it may not have been genuinely manufactured by the company, since the brand does not produce one-kilogram packets, an admission that only deepens suspicion of a deliberate scheme to piggyback on a trusted name," the statement added.

Representatives of the affected brands have since committed to presenting themselves for verification as detectives continue investigating the suspected counterfeit operation.

The Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) has also been brought into the investigation and will sample the recovered products for further analysis as detectives seek to establish the full extent of the alleged racket.

The DCI said the suspects would face court proceedings after processing, while the recovered products and equipment would remain in police custody as evidence.

"The seven suspects are currently in custody undergoing processing pending arraignment, while the recovered items have been detained as exhibits," the statement concluded.

This comes days after an enforcement operation in Nairobi's Central Business District resulted in the seizure of personal care products suspected to be counterfeit.

In a statement on Friday, September 11, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) said the operation, carried out along River Road, targeted a consignment containing Sensodyne toothpaste, toothbrushes and assorted Nivea products.

ACA said unlike counterfeit luxury products, which may mainly cause financial losses, fake personal care items can pose direct health and safety concerns because they are applied to or used on the body.

The authority said products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotions and cosmetics are part of consumers’ daily routines, making their quality important. 

ACA said suspected counterfeit toothpaste could contain unverified or unsuitable substances, while fake skincare and cosmetic products may cause irritation, allergic reactions, burns or other adverse effects.

It added that poorly manufactured toothbrushes may also fail to meet expected standards, while consumers may have no reliable way of determining where counterfeit products were manufactured, how they were stored or how they were handled before reaching shops.

ACA Nairobi Regional Manager Abdi Abikar said the enforcement action was aimed at more than simply removing illegal products from circulation.

"These are products that people use every day, often without questioning their safety. When toothpaste, toothbrushes or skincare products are counterfeited, the risk is taken directly into our homes.

"This operation is therefore not only about removing illegal goods from the market, but also about protecting families and preserving public confidence in the products they rely on," he said.