BUSIA, Kenya, October 8th –The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted contraband goods estimated at Sh70 million in evaded customs duties and taxes. KRA enforcement teams intercepted a truck carrying contraband cigarettes in a 40-foot container.
Speaking to the press, Commissioner of Customs and Border Control, Dr Lilian Nyawanda, said the interception followed surveillance and the tracking of a major smuggling syndicate operating across multiple countries.
In a coordinated, intelligence-led operation conducted in partnership with other government agencies, Nyawanda said KRA Customs and Investigations officers identified one of the suspected trucks in Busia County.
She said the officers swiftly pursued the vehicle and successfully intercepted it along the Busia–Mumias Road.
“Upon inspection, the track was found transporting 1500 cartons of illicit supermatch cigarettes and the driver failed to present documentation relating to the consignment,” she said.
The official said the truck was also found to have been fitted with a KRA Regional Electronic Cargo Tracking System (RECTS) seal whose signal had been deliberately disconnected from the monitoring system, confirming efforts to disguise smuggling activity.
Dr Nyawanda said the consignment was escorted to KRA’s Kisumu Customs Warehouse, where it was sealed and deposited; pending multi-agency verification and further investigations.
Meanwhile, Nyawanda said KRA’s intelligence networks have detected sophisticated schemes being used by smugglers to evade taxes and bypass restrictions on illicit trade.
These schemes, she revealed, include concealment within tobacco lamina consignments, where contraband cigarettes are disguised as part of legitimate transit cargo before being diverted and dumped in the Kenyan market.
She said smugglers have also been found to be compromising transit processes by fixing trucks with RECTS seals that do not emit any signal to mimic lawful transit and reduce enforcement suspicion.
Dr Nyawanda said the East African Community Customs Management Act (EACCMA), 2004 defines smuggling as the importation or exportation of goods in violation of customs laws, including goods concealed to evade duties or taxes.
Under Section 199, she said offenders are liable to seizure of the goods, forfeiture of the conveyance used, and prosecution.
Dr Nyawanda said penalties include fines not exceeding ten thousand dollars or up to 50 percent of the dutiable value of the goods, imprisonment for a term of up to five years, or both.
She reiterated that the successful interception demonstrates KRA’s continued commitment to protecting the country from illicit trade and safeguarding revenue
Nyawanda said that smuggling not only denies the government critical tax revenue for national development but also undermines fair competition and exposes consumers to unregulated products.
“For proper deterrence, our main interest is in drilling down through the layered complexity of these schemes for possible uprooting, while reducing generalities which often lead to collateral damage and revenue leakage,” added Dr Nyawanda.
KRA continues to intensify surveillance and enforcement operations across border points, leveraging intelligence, technology, and inter-agency collaboration to curb illicit trade.
The taxman also urges the public and stakeholders to remain vigilant and report any suspicious trade activities through KRA’s hotlines.
