KRA Confiscates South Africa-Bound Ship With Contraband Cigarettes
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) confiscated unauthorized products totaling Ksh280 million at the Port of Mombasa, foiling an attempt to smuggle contraband cigarettes into the nation.
According to a KRA statement made on Friday, the seizure comprised more than 9.3 million sticks of illegal cigarettes worth an estimated Ksh281.1 million.
“The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has intercepted over 9.3 million sticks of contraband cigarettes with a market value of Ksh281.1 million at the Port of Mombasa,” KRA said.
“The seizure foiled an attempt to unlawfully import the goods in a 40-foot container.”
KRA officers seize 9.3 million contraband cigarettes in 937 cartons worth Sh281 million at Mombasa port; the consignment was enroute to South Sudan pic.twitter.com/dBdXEfUzd3
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) January 16, 2026
The interception was based on actionable intelligence, prompting the KRA to form a multi-agency verification team to investigate the shipment.
Due to the nature of the cargo, inspectors performed a complete physical check to ensure compliance with tax, standards, and enforcement requirements.
Officers from KRA, Port Police, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Port Health Services, and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) collaborated on the operation.
The joint examination revealed that the shipment consisted of 937 cartons carrying 9,370,000 sticks of cigarettes labeled “Made in Sudan,” despite the fact that the consignment was from Cambodia.
KRA has intercepted a forty-foot container
— DP 🇰🇪 (@DanChepta) November 10, 2025
At the Port of Mombasa carrying over 9.5 million illicit cigarettes
Disguised as sanitary towels, valued at Sh200 million.
Weuh 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/yk2EwPR6Z4
KRA reported that the shipment was routed through Singapore before landing in Kenya and was purportedly bound for South Sudan.
The investigations revealed that the total taxes owed on the products totaled Ksh83,393,000.
Furthermore, the tax liability comprised Ksh38,417,000 in excise duty and Ksh44,976,000 in value-added tax (VAT), with the taxman claiming that the attempted smuggling endangers public health and undermines legal trade.
The operation was carried out barely six days after the authority seized a Ksh16.26 million consignment of illicit ethanol near the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) corridor in Nairobi.
The authorities acted on intelligence indicating the movement of unauthorised ethanol in the area.
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Officers from the KRA Enforcement Team, Nairobi, swung into action after receiving information that lorries reported to be transporting ethanol had been sighted within a yard near the SGR corridor.
However, the taxman said that upon arrival, their officers found that the lorries had already departed.
Despite the lorries leaving the scene, the enforcement team recovered the illicit ethanol that had been offloaded and stored within the yard.
The seizure included 20 drums, each with a capacity of 250 litres, totalling 5,000 litres of ethanol.
KRA Confiscates South Africa-Bound Ship With Contraband Cigarettes
