Police on Tuesday impounded hundreds of crates of counterfeit and second-generation liqour impounded from various parts of Murang’a County.
About 94 kilograms and 956 rolls of bhang, some of which were branded, were also impounded and displayed at Murang’a County Police Headquarters.
The security team vowed to continue with the raids aimed at ensuring the sale and consumption of the brews are stemmed.
County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha said since the operation began two weeks ago, 583 suspects have been arrested, out of which 270 have been convicted in law courts and fined Sh7,800,000.
“We recovered some rolls that were branded. We found the person who was selling them in his home and he was selling them between Sh20 and Sh50. We are happy that we’ve been able to intercept it and disrupt this cycle,” he said.
Nkanatha further noted that hundreds of litres of ethanol had also been seized and that it could all not be transported to the police headquarters due to its quantity and corrosive nature.
The operation, he noted, was undertaken by a multi-agency team that included the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) and security officers in the last two weeks.
Three weeks ago, the team raided a private residence where counterfeit alcohol was being produced in Gatanga Sub County and arrested two suspects, among them an ex-police officer.
The commissioner said they will be targeting manufacturers of counterfeit and substandard alcohol in a bid to cut the chain of supply.
The security team will embark on another two-week operation that will see the county rid of drugs.
“This time, it will be different. We have studied the modus operandi of the suspects and we have also learnt our weaknesses, and they are being addressed."
County Police Commander Kainga Mathiu said 41 bars operated in the villagers have been closed down so far and their owners prosecuted.
He said the team will penetrate to the villages where illicit brews are being sold and ensure suspects are arrested.
Mathiu also revealed that the security team will have a meeting with licensed distillers to discuss ways of working together.
“We are also looking for manufacturers and bhang dealers. We have 42 licensed distillers in the country, majority of whom are from the Central region and we will sit with them and interrogate them to see if they contribute in any way."
“We want to inform the perpetrators that we are fully ready to clean up consumption of counterfeit and second generation liqour from this county,” he added.
