Seven suspects have been arrested following a multi-agency operation that led to the seizure of 13,200 litres of ethanol and thousands of packets of suspected counterfeit cigarettes in Thika West Sub-County.
In a statement on Sunday, July 12, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the intelligence-led operation was conducted in Umoja area, where officers raided a compound believed to have been used for the storage and distribution of illegal goods.
During the operation, detectives recovered 66 drums, each containing 200 litres of ethanol, bringing the total volume seized to 13,200 litres.
DCI Arrests Seven as Multi-Agency Team Seizes 13,200 Litres of Ethanol in Thika. Photo: Courtesy.
Officers also discovered 17,640 packets of suspected counterfeit Pall Mall cigarettes concealed beneath animal hides inside one of the lorries found at the premises.
According to the DCI, two lorries believed to have been used to transport the illicit consignment were also impounded during the raid.
The agency said all the recovered items have been secured as exhibits as investigations continue to establish the full extent of the suspected criminal network behind the operation.
The seven suspects arrested during the raid were identified as Isaack Muthee, Lenkai Olemelei, Simon Ndung’u, Paul Mwangi, Stephen Mbugua, Julius Mutuku and Nicolete Lodway.
They remain in police custody and are awaiting processing before being arraigned in court as investigations continue.
