Three people, two of them Tanzanian nationals, have been arrested after customs officers based at the Taveta-Holili One-Stop Border Post on Friday evening seized 1,000 pieces of explosive detonators at Mwakitau on the Taveta-Mombasa highway.
In a statement issued on Monday, September 14, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) said the consignment was intercepted by Administration Police officers who were on a routine patrol just a kilometre away from the Maktau roadblock in Taita Taveta County.
“The consignment in the vehicle had been declared at the border point as raw tobacco from Moshi Tanzania and was destined to Mombasa. However, on being stopped and upon rummaging by Customs officers, and checking the cabin, the officers found two packages of Supreme Plain detonators in the vehicle,” said KRA.
Upon being interviewed, the driver told investigators that he was handed the detonators at Taita Taveta town and they were to be delivered to their owner in Mwatate.
KRA said that the three suspects, who were handed over to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, will be charged with contravening the Explosive Act.
One of the arrested suspects is a man who told police that the detonators belong to him and that the explosive devices were to be used in mining.
The man showed police his mining permit, KRA said in their statement.
