The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has summoned Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) officials, clearing agents, transporters and the owner of a godown after the recovery of more than five tonnes of expired baby diapers.
Detectives pounced on employees of the Mlolongo godown on Saturday and found them repackaging and rebranding the diapers to conceal the real expiry dates, which ranged between January and May 2017.
On realising that there was an effort to conceal the crime and interference from the owner of the godown, who is a prominent businessman, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti instructed Parklands DCIO David Chebii to take over the investigations.
INNOCENT CHILDREN
“The expired diapers were being repackaged so that consumers do not find out that they had expired. This is very harmful to innocent children,” Mr Kinoti said.
Six workers found repackaging the products at the Eens Godown were arrested. Investigators said they are trying to establish if the godown, situated on Mombasa Road, has any links with a leading haulage company.
Police were forced to break into the warehouse after the owner failed to show up.
FAKE STICKERS
The diapers were later taken to the DCI offices on Kiambu Road in Nairobi.
Mr Chebii said the diapers, which are originally from China, expired last year and the employees were putting fake Kebs stickers on the bales and packets in order to conceal the expiry dates.
The workers also changed the logo of the original manufacturer of the diapers from Fujian Hanhe Sanitary Products Company Limited to Eeze Life Products Limited.
EXPIRY DATE
Fujian Hanhe is located in Quanzhou, China, where the dealer allegedly imported the diapers from.
The workers then attached a Kebs logo on the diapers. It was not clear where they got the logos that resemble the original ones from.
“The products, according to our investigations, entered the country three months ago and the employees of the godown were stamping them with a fake expiry date,” Mr Chebii said.
ILLEGAL IMPORTERS
Police officers also confiscated erasers and other machines used to alter the dates and logos.
The DCI has sent detectives to Mombasa and Athi River to investigate how the products entered the market without being detected. Detectives suspect a collusion between illegal importers and Kebs employees at the Port of Mombasa.
Eeze Products is a brand name that was launched by Vivek Investments Limited two years ago. Contacted for comment, the company said that it was not aware of the raid.
“I am not aware of any raid and our products are detergents only, but the brand name resembles ours,” said a communication officer.