Seven suspects accused of Sh24m illegal sugar importation charged

Seven suspects have been arraigned in Busia Law Courts for being in possession of illegally imported sugar worth Sh24 million.

They appeared before senior principal magistrate Patrick Olengo.

It is suspected the 7,000 bags of Lugazi Sugar, packed in 50kg bags, were being ferried into the country from Uganda. Lugazi Sugar Factory is in Uganda.

Those arraigned were operators of seven trucks that were carrying the sugar. The person who was ferrying the product using the eighth truck is still at large.

Kenya Revenue Authority in a press statement said the act was in contravention of Section 200 (d) (i), 210 and Section 199 (b), 199 (c) (iii) of the East African Community Customs Management Act|(EACCMA), 2004 on possession and conveying of uncustomed goods respectively.

The suspects arrived at Malaba One Stop Border Post on October 24 with eight trucks that were later found to have been stuffed with the sugar on transit from Uganda. Each truck was carrying 1,000 bags.

The suspects denied the charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh150,000 or a bond of Sh40,000 each.

The hearing of the case has been set for March 24, 2021.

“Illegitimate trade denies the government its fair share of revenue,” KRA Western region coordinator Mercy Njuguna said in a statement.

“Kenya Revenue Authority has continued to increase surveillance along the borders in a bid to eliminate illicit trade in the country.

Last month, KRA officials arrested six people suspected of smuggling 550 bags of sugar into the country.

KRA said the consignment branded Lugazi Sugar was estimated at Sh2 million.

On September 10, 2018, KRA spearheaded the destruction of 728 bags of illicit sugar intercepted while being smuggled into the country through Wajir.

Another 3,000 bags of contraband sugar were impounded in Meru on June 18, 2018.

Edited by EKibii