Fake liquor, KRA excise stamps seized after illicit distillery busted in Molo

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the distillery owner is a rogue businessman who recently switched trade and converted his premises from a saw-miller after the government banned logging.

The detectives descended on the brewer on Tuesday posing as potato farmers where they found 3 staff members packaging the liquor.

“His employees Fredrick Kiprotich, Joram Choge and Langat Kipng’etich, acted as the plant’s connoisseurs and tested whether the potency of each brand had achieved its desired level,” DCI said on Wednesday.

Hundreds of fake bottles from local brands, including Tripple Ace, Kibao, and Konyagi, attached with the rip-off KRA stamps were recovered in the search.

Additionally, detectives seized an alcoholmeter, a measuring tube, assorted synthetic flavors, as well as other paraphernalia from the plant.

The distillery owner, James Ndegwa, was also arrested and the four are in custody at Molo Police station awaiting arraignment.