Detectives have arrested 29 people and seized suspected counterfeit and contraband goods worth more than KSh62.7 million in a three-day operation targeting illegal trade and other crimes across the country.
The operation, dubbed Usalama XII, was conducted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in partnership with INTERPOL and several government agencies. It covered Nairobi, Central, Coast, Rift Valley, Eastern, Nyanza and Western regions.
According to the DCI, officers also rescued seven people suspected to be victims of human trafficking and recovered 85 Kenyan passports from a recruitment agency suspected of operating illegally.
The operation further involved checks on 198 motor vehicles against INTERPOL databases as authorities stepped up efforts to identify vehicles linked to crime.
Several agencies took part in the exercise, including the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Anti-Counterfeit Authority, Kenya Wildlife Service, Pharmacy and Poisons Board and local police units.
In Nairobi, detectives recovered suspected counterfeit electronics, sports merchandise, beauty products and vehicle spare parts.
The items included 3,991 suspected counterfeit Samsung and iPhone adapters, 1,963 football jerseys and Adidas footballs, as well as lubricants and other automotive components.
Officers also found suspected falsified medicines and public medical supplies at an unlicensed clinic in Kayole.
In Eastleigh, detectives from the National Anti-Narcotic Investigations Bureau seized bottles of products suspected to contain narcotic or psychotropic substances from a pharmacy. The products were taken for further analysis.
The operation also targeted suspected cases of human trafficking and exploitation.
In Westlands, detectives arrested a person at a recruitment agency allegedly operating without the required licence. Officers recovered 85 Kenyan passports, work visas and employment contracts during the operation.
In Roysambu, three girls were rescued from suspected sexual exploitation. A separate operation in Gilgil led to the interception of four Somali nationals suspected to be victims of human trafficking, including two minors.
In Nakuru, officers arrested a suspect found transporting 90,000 sticks of suspected smuggled cigarettes valued at about KSh2 million. Detectives also recovered counterfeit excise stamps.
Other operations in Central and Nyanza regions resulted in the seizure of alcoholic beverages suspected to be counterfeit or unmarked.
Detectives also recovered suspected counterfeit mobile phones, storage devices and footwear as part of the wider crackdown.
The three-day exercise was coordinated by the National Central Bureau and the DCI headquarters’ Directorate of Operations, bringing together law enforcement officers and regulatory agencies to tackle illegal trade, trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
