MOMBASA, Kenya – The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted more than 9.3 million sticks of contraband cigarettes valued at Sh281.1 million at the Port of Mombasa, foiling an attempt to illegally import the consignment into the country.
In a statement issued on Friday, KRA said the cigarettes were concealed inside a 40-foot container, following an intelligence-led operation that triggered a coordinated multi-agency verification exercise at the port.
The operation brought together officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority, Port Police, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA), Port Health Services, and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
“Given the nature of the cargo, a 100 per cent physical examination was conducted to ensure compliance with tax, standards, and enforcement regulations,” KRA said.
Upon inspection, authorities established that the container was carrying 937 cartons containing a total of 9,370,000 cigarette sticks.
The cigarettes were labelled “Made in Sudan”, despite shipping documents indicating Cambodia as the country of consignment.
KRA noted that the shipment was routed through Singapore before arriving in Kenya and was reportedly destined for South Sudan, raising further red flags during the verification process.
The taxman revealed that the total taxes payable on the intercepted consignment amount to Sh83.39 million, comprising Sh38.42 million in excise duty and Sh44.98 million in value-added tax (VAT).
