NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 29 – A multi-agency team led by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has dismantled two major counterfeit alcohol operations in coordinated raids in Mombasa and Nairobi, seizing hundreds of thousands of litres of suspected illicit products and arresting key suspects.
The synchronized operations began at dawn in Kongowea, Mombasa County, where officers targeted four outlets and the residence of a man believed to be a central figure in the county’s illicit alcohol trade.
The raid uncovered a large consignment of suspected counterfeit alcohol, including products bearing Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) stamps that failed verification, as well as others fraudulently labeled as different legitimate brands.
In a striking revelation, NACADA Chief Executive Officer Anthony Omerikwa disclosed that the suspect’s residence shares a boundary fence with Kongowea Primary School.
Speaking at the scene, Omerikwa described the discovery as alarming, noting that the counterfeiting operation was located within a residential area and in close proximity to a learning institution.
“It is utterly shocking that a counterfeiting hub is operating next to a school,” he said. “This points to the increasingly desperate tactics being adopted by criminal networks following intensified government crackdowns, in line with the Presidential directive on the renewed fight against alcohol and drug abuse,” he stated.
According to NACADA, the suspect had been under prolonged undercover surveillance prior to the raid. All four targeted outlets were also found to be operating without valid liquor licenses.
At the same time, a separate NACADA-led operation involving the National Police Service (NPS) and KRA was conducted in Nairobi’s Central Business District along Kirinyaga Road.
Acting on complaints from legitimate brand owners, officers raided a major distributor, arresting one suspect and seizing 7,352 bottles (250ml) of assorted suspected counterfeit alcoholic products, equivalent to 312 cartons.
The suspect arrested in Nairobi is being held at Jogoo Road Police Station, while the seized exhibits have been secured by KRA at a warehouse along Mombasa Road for further verification and investigations.
The twin operations signal a significant escalation in the national crackdown on illicit alcohol.
Authorities say the Mombasa raid highlights the growing boldness of counterfeit networks, which are increasingly embedding their activities within residential and educational areas to evade detection.
NACADA officials emphasized that the successful operations were the result of intelligence-led enforcement and inter-agency collaboration, describing them as a major step toward protecting public health from the dangers posed by counterfeit and illicit alcoholic products.
