Police have arrested three suspects and seized hundreds of bottles of suspected illicit alcohol following coordinated raids in two areas of Kisumu County.
The multi-agency operation, conducted on Friday, October 9, targeted the manufacture, distribution and sale of illicit brews and goods suspected to have evaded customs duties.
According to the National Police Service (NPS), officers raided a pub in Kibos before proceeding to Mamboleo, where they made further arrests and recovered additional quantities of illicit alcohol.
What did police recover during the Kisumu raids?
During the first raid in Kibos, officers arrested two suspects and confiscated hundreds of bottles of alcoholic drinks alongside other items.
The haul comprised 289 bottles of Simba Gin in 200ml containers, 134 bottles of Empire, 35 bottles of Coffee Flavour and 20 bottles of Alexander Vodka, all in 200ml bottles. Officers also recovered 24 litres of chang’aa and 21 packets of cigarettes.
The team subsequently moved to Mamboleo, where another suspect was arrested after officers recovered 18 litres of chang’aa and four bottles of Waragi. The operation brought the total quantity of chang’aa seized to 42 litres, alongside the assorted bottled alcoholic drinks and cigarettes.
All three suspects were taken to Kondele Police Station, where they remained in custody awaiting arraignment. The recovered items were secured as exhibits.
How can Kenyans report illicit alcohol and other illegal trade?
The National Police Service attributed the operation’s success to information provided by members of the public and encouraged residents to continue reporting suspected criminal activity.
In its statement, the service reaffirmed its commitment to tackling the sale of illicit brews, narcotics and goods suspected to have entered the country without the required customs procedures.
“We commend members of the public whose actionable intelligence continues to drive these successes. We urge everyone to continue cooperating with the police by promptly sharing information at the nearest police station or through our emergency toll-free lines: 999 or 911; the #FichuaKwaDCI hotline on 0800 722 203; or WhatsApp on 0709 570 000,” the service stated.
The police urged the public to use the designated reporting channels to help officers identify and act on information about suspected illegal activities.
