The Kenya Revenue Authority and DCI officers from the Economic and Commercial Crime Unit have seized an illegal consignment of cigarettes worth Sh32 million in Nairobi.
Among them were 17,660 packets of Supermatch each with 20 sticks and 2,720 packets of Palma Safari cigarettes each with 20 sticks.
The items were netted at a palatial home at Maziwa Estate along Riara road following a tip off from a whistleblower.
KRA officials said they have been following leads of fake cigarette dealings for two months now after they got wind of the smuggling through the Busia-Kitale border points.
Also recovered during the operation were assorted counterfeit stamps from the Kenya Revenue Authority and Uganda Revenue Authority as well as empty cigarette cartons labelled British American Tobacco (BAT), Kenya and Supermatch.
DCI officers have arrested one suspect.
Officers at the scene of crime, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, said KRA has lost an estimated Sh18 million in revenue as a result of the illegal dealings, the officials said.
The seizure happened at a time the government is grappling with a severe cash crunch that has resulted in delayed payment of salaries to workers.
