Seven charged with smuggling goods worth Ksh 40M

Seven suspects were on Tuesday arraigned in a Kisumu Court charged with smuggling goods worth Ksh 40 million.

In the first case, Shadrack Chirchir, Jacktone Andayi and Christabel Wafula were charged with having uncustomed goods.

The trio who were arrested at Shivumbe in Kakamega County on 15th October 2023 were found with 40 bags of smuggled wheat bran chicken feeds manufactured in Burundi and 5, 000 sticks of Supermatch cigarettes meant for export amounting to Ksh 26,250,000 in unpaid taxes.

Kisumu Chief Magistrate Julius Ng’arng’ar granted them Ksh 500,000 bond each pending the mentioning of the matter on 26th March 2024.

In a separate case, four accused persons, Charles Maina, George Mwenda, Silas Mutungi and Humphrey Omondi were jointly charged with interfering with goods under customs control.

The accused persons allegedly destroyed the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Electronic Cargo tracking System fitted on a truck that was conveying 1,150 cartons of Supermatch cigarettes meant for export to South Sudan.

They then unsuccessfully attempted to divert the cigarettes which have a tax liability of Ksh 14 million into the local market.

Appearing before Kisumu Resident Magistrate Antionette Ogange, the four denied the charges and were granted a bond of Ksh 1 million each.

The case will be mentioned on 28th March 2024.