KRA seizes over 25,000 fake excise stamps at Nairobi water plant
By Samuel Migele
Kenya Revenue Authority has seized over 25,000 pieces of loose cou
nterfeit excise stamps and 5,000 bottles of sky-
falls drinking water all affixed with counterfeit excise stamps at a w
ater refilling plant in Industrial Area, Nairobi County.
KRA officers were acting on an intelligence report when they carrie
d out the operation and arrested the proprietor of Tabito Packaging
& Suppliers. The factory premises were sealed and the plant closed.
The proprietor is working with the Authority to unearth the source
of the counterfeit excise stamps.
This incident comes two months after KRA closed another water ma
nufacturing plant at Ramula Trading Centre off Ramula-
Luanda road where several fake excise stamps were found during a
night raid in January. During the raid, KRA officers seized 49 cases o
f bottled water affixed with counterfeit excise stamps
and rolls of counterfeit excise stamps.
The possession or use of fake excise stamps is illegal under the Excis
e Duty Act, 2015 and the Excise Duty (Excisable Goods Management
System) Regulations, 2017.
KRA reminds all
licensed manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers
and general public that all excisable goods other than motor vehicle
s are required to be affixed with excise stamps in compliance with the law.
The Authority, in collaboration with other government agencies in t
he Multi- Agency Team, has been carrying out intelligence operation
s and crackdowns to stamp out illicit goods from the market. The fig
ht against illicit trade seeks to protect the public from harmful good
s, create fair market competition and to protect revenue.
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