BUSIA, Kenya- Police have arrested two men after intercepting a vehicle carrying 1.5 tonnes of sugar allegedly smuggled into Kenya through an ungazetted route along the border with Uganda.
Busia Police Station officers arrested 31-year-old Abdi Ahmed and 24-year-old Said Mustafa during a patrol within Busia Township.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, officers flagged down a Toyota Probox, registration KDJ 561V, in the Velasco area and conducted a search.
They recovered 30 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilograms, bringing the total consignment to 1,500 kilograms.
Investigators suspect the sugar was transported through an unmanned entry point to avoid customs checks and taxation at designated border crossings.
“An inspection of the vehicle led to the recovery of 30 bags of sugar, each weighing 50 kilograms, smuggled past the taxman’s watchful eye by sneaking through an unmanned entry point instead of a designated border crossing,” the DCI said.
Police seized the vehicle and the entire consignment before taking them to Busia Police Station as exhibits.
The two suspects remained in custody and were undergoing processing ahead of their expected arraignment. Police did not immediately disclose the specific charges they would face.
The arrests come amid intensified patrols along the Kenya-Uganda border targeting routes used to transport goods into the country without customs clearance.
Police say the operations are part of a wider crackdown on economic crimes that deny the country tax revenue and undermine legitimate businesses.
Ahmed and Mustafa remain suspects and are presumed innocent unless convicted by a court.
