Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) on Friday seized 1,000 pieces of explosive detonators at Mwakitau along the Taveta-Mombasa highway.
Customs officers based at the Taveta-Holili One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) backed by administration police officers intercepted the devices while being transported together with Tobacco by a truck No. T143ARG at around 5.30 pm, one kilometer away from Mwakitau roadblock, Taita Taveta County.
Speaking to the Kenya News Agency in Mombasa on Monday, KRA acting Coordinator Southern Region John Bisonga said three suspects were arrested in connection to the incident.
Bisonga said the consignment was declared at the border point as raw tobacco from Moshi, Tanzania and was destined to Mombasa.
“However, on being stopped and upon inspection by customs officers, two packages of Supreme Plain detonators were found in the vehicle,” disclosed the KRA official.
According to Bisonga, the driver claimed the detonators were handed over to him at Taveta town to be delivered to the owner at Mwatate in Taita Taveta County.
He added that a joint verification by the multi-agency team from KRA, Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the National Police Service confirmed the parcel contained 1,000 pieces of detonators, which had been packed in 10 boxes containing 100 pieces each.
The suspects, including a person who presented himself at the station with a mining permit and claiming to be the owner of the detonators, the driver of the truck and a turn boy who are both Tanzanian nationals, were arrested and handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.
By Mohamed Hassan
