The Anti- Counterfeit agency has nabbed a container with contraband goods worth Sh
7 million during an impromptu inspection at Mombasa based Portside Container terminal on Tuesday.
The Anti-counterfeit officials were on a routine inspection and verification checks when the container was discovered at the CFS, on Monday evening, according to the agency regional boss Yusuf Ahmed.
The agency could not however immediately link Portside CFS with the catch of the counterfeits.
"From the partial verification, we found that a number of items that are infringing and therefore deemed to be counterfeit," he told journalists at the CFS, situated just a stone throw from the Mombasa Port.
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The preliminary investigations revealed a total of 108 boxes found to contain fake stationery and hardware materials.
The actual value of the counterfeit goods is expected to be way higher than Sh7 million, given that the officials are yet to conduct 100 per cent verification.
"We shall continue with the fight against counterfeiting to protect brand owners and property right owners," said Ahmed.
Documents of the consignment revealed the importer to be Joseph Kamau Macharia while the agent is Beneli Freighters Limited based in Nairobi.
The exporter of the goods is Tulip Import and Export Limited based in Zhejiang, China.
Yusuf said that the agency will charge both the importer and the agent.
Other agencies involved in inspections include Kenya Bureau of Standards and Kenya Revenue Authority.
In the wake of the inspections, the agencies have nabbed contraband sugar stocked in various parts of the country which contain mercury, a killer metal.
"Businesses should deal with genuine products because will not give them chance to dump counterfeits here in the country," he added.
The war against the counterfeits, he noted, was an enforcement on the Big Four Agenda, which anchors President Kenyatta's transforming dream.
Among the Big Four pillars is manufacturing, which could suffer a big blow if the war on counterfeits is not sustained.
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