MOMBASA, Kenya — A multi-agency team led by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has seized a 40-foot container carrying 9.5 million illicit cigarettes disguised as sanitary towels at the Port of Mombasa, dealing a major blow to smuggling networks operating through Kenya’s main gateway.
The contraband, valued at Sh200 million, could have cost the country an estimated Sh76 million in lost tax revenue, officials said.
According to the KRA, the intercepted container, which arrived from Thailand, was declared to contain 1,100 boxes of sanitary towels.
However, a joint verification exercise exposed the cargo as part of a sophisticated tax evasion scheme.
“Upon arrival, we did our risk assessment based on the information that we had gotten from US Customs and Border Protection. We were able to confirm that the container was suspicious, or the content was suspicious,” said Chege Macharia, KRA’s Deputy Commissioner of Customs in charge of Border Control and Enforcement.
The consignment, packed in 954 boxes, contained 500 packets per box, each containing 20 cigarettes. Only the first three rows of the container carried genuine sanitary towels — 146 boxes, each with 408 pieces.
KRA has intercepted a forty-foot containerAt the Port of Mombasa carrying over 9.5 million illicit cigarettesDisguised as sanitary towels, valued at Sh200 million.Weuh 😂😂
A verification exercise at the Port Police Station, witnessed by officers from Interpol, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), revealed that the remaining boxes contained cigarettes bearing export revenue stamps from a neighbouring country.
The products will now undergo laboratory tests to verify their authenticity and determine their origin.
“What we have intercepted here demonstrates the true meaning of international coordination and information sharing,” Macharia said.
“This collaborative approach has proven essential in disrupting the flow of smuggled cigarettes and many other products.”
He warned that the illicit tobacco trade not only deprives the country of essential tax revenue but also undermines public health efforts.
Macharia credited the success to KRA’s investment in modern scanning technology, which he said has improved the detection of suspicious cargo at entry and exit points.
“We have scanners across all major entry points, including Mombasa, Busia, and Malaba. All containers entering the country undergo scanning, which aids in risk assessment and helps identify those requiring full verification,” he explained.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted a 40-foot container at the Mombasa Port carrying more than 9.5 million illicit cigarettes worth KSh 63.6 million, disguised as sanitary towels.According to KRA, the container which originated from Thailand, was declared to
The KRA has also begun deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in cargo scanning to enhance speed and accuracy, particularly in identifying high-risk consignments.
Macharia emphasised that multi-agency collaboration — combining intelligence, technology, and cross-border coordination — remains central to combating smuggling and protecting Kenya’s revenue base.
