Narcotics scam flagged by Kenyan authorities

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has revealed how some companies violated regulations to import narcotics disguised as sugar. Its findings, presented to a joint sitting of the National Assembly’s Agriculture and Trade committees that have been investigating contraband sugar also states that the government lost about $357m in duty and VAT exemptions on the sugar imported between May and December 2017. The Nation reports that committee sat for six days to investigate fears that the sugar in the market is unsuitable for human consumption as it is laced with foreign substances, including heavy metals like mercury. KRA Commissioner-General John Njiraini told the lawmakers that in July 2016, a verification conducted by government agencies on one of the containers imported by Mshale Commodities Ltd – a company registered in Uganda – revealed that substances believed to be narcotics were concealed in the bags of sugar.