Three suspects arrested with illegal sugar in Nairobi detained

Three people who were arrested in Eastleigh, Nairobi with sugar labeled unfit for human consumption have been detained pending the ruling of their case.

The three – Dahir Ahmed Hassan, Mohammed Dahir and Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed – who are believed to be directors of a sugar company appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku where the prosecution asked for 21 days to complete investigations.

In an affidavit by an investigating officer attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the suspects were arrested on June 5, 2018 at Eastleigh Section (iii) and booked at Shauri Moyo Police Station on the same day.

The investigating officer stated that, during the arrest, the suspects were found repackaging 1, 474 bags of Brazillian Raw Sugar into various local sugar company packaging bags despite the sugar being indicated as not fit for direct human consumption

He also added that the investigations were being carried out by a multi-agency team including Counterfeit Agency, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards, Government Chemist and office of the Director of Directorate of Public Prosecutions.

The court heard that most of these agencies require time for sampling and conducting analysis on the contraband sugar found in the respondents’ possession.

According to the officer, the suspects could have supplied the sugar to various markets all over the country hence it was necessary to carry out further investigations.

He said they were expanding the investigations to the port of Mombasa to authenticate the provided import documents and also visit the local sugar companies all over the country whose packaging bags were found being used by the respondents.

“Identification documents produced by the respondents are also suspected to be fake and therefore a search on the same at the National Registration Bureau is necessary to ascertain the respondents’ identity,” said the investigating officer.

Samson Nyamberi, the suspects’ lawyer, opposed an application by the prosecution to have them detained for 21 days saying there wasn’t enough evidence

The matter will be heard Thursday June 7, 2018, for the court to set a ruling date on whether the respondents will be detained for the 21 days or not.