Border police along the Modika-Modogashe Road in Garissa seized 2.2 tonnes of contraband sugar and neutralised two suspected smugglers on Wednesday, 4 December.
The patrol team made the seizure after a police chase involving two vehicles that accelerated upon spotting the officers.
Reportedly, the chase began when officers identified two suspicious Toyota Probox vehicles in the Nuno area and attempted to engage with the drivers.
According to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the two drivers, who tried to flee, were swiftly immobilised.
Imported sugar being loaded onto a truck at a port in Africa
Photo
Food Safety Africa
88 bags of contraband sugar were consequently confiscated each weighing 25 kg amounting to a total of 2200 kg.
All the bags were branded with SAHA insignia.
The two vehicles and the 2.2 tonnes of sugar have since been placed in police custody, awaiting further verification by a multi-agency team at the border.
This impound comes just a few weeks after President William Ruto stated that the country would not be importing any sugar this year.
In his November 14 dispatch after a cabinet meeting, the President attributed the decision to increased local production of the sweetener.
“On sugar, the meeting noted that Kenya has, for the first time, produced enough to meet local demand,” noted the Cabinet dispatch obtained by Kenyans.co.ke.
“As a result, no sugar will be imported this year. This achievement is due to subsidised fertiliser provided to farmers and improved management of the sector.”
The Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Andrew Karanja noted that the country was expected to produce more than 800,000 metric tonnes this year.
A photo showing brown sugar
Photo
Food Safety Africa