The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has seized five high-end cars and two motorcycles at the port of Mombasa, which are believed to have been stolen from the United Kingdom.
The vehicles, which had been declared as being in transit to Uganda, were intercepted in a joint operation by Kenya, the UK as well as local and international security agents.
The team included officers from KRA’s customs enforcement team, Interpol, UK’s Metropolitan Police Service, Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations and other agencies.
ORIGIN
The cars are a Range Rover Vogue, Range Rover Sport, BMW 530d, BMW X5, and a Volkswagen Tiguan.
Kenneth Ochola, the southern region’s new commissioner, said the Range Rover Vogue, Range Rover Sport, BMW 530d and two motorcycles were packed in one container and the rest of the vehicles in another.
“The bill of lading for the container with the three vehicles and two motorcycles indicated the cargo was shipped from the Port of Jabel Ali, and that the consignor was Jason Abayomi from London,” he said.
“The consignor’s address was flat 15145, Seymour Place, Mary Lesbone, while the consignee was listed as Kwizera Gilbert Jimmy of Entebbe, Kampala.”
Shipping documents for the container loaded with the BMW X5 and the Volkswagen Tiguan indicated that they were shipped from the Port of Antwerp and that the consignor was Belgo Malienne NV AS.
The consignee was identified as Vumilia Investments, Uganda.
RETURN
Following verification, the investigators confirmed that the Range Rover Sport was stolen on March 23, 2019, the Range Rover Vogue on May 5, 2019 and the BMW 530d on May 8, 2019.
The BMW X5 was stolen on June 6, 2019, the Volkswagen Tiguan on December 7, 2018 and the motorcycles on April 12 and May 13, 2019.
Mr Ochola said the vehicles were inscribed with the chassis numbers of other vehicles, which had not been reported stolen in the United Kingdom, to circumvent border control systems.
“It is believed that smuggled high-end vehicles are diverted to the local market, which hurts the motor vehicle industry. Further, proceeds from the illegal business are believed to be [used to fund organised crime],” he said.
Mr Waqar Qureshi, First Secretary at the British High Commission to Kenya, witnessed the verification at Focus Container Freight Station in Mombasa, where containers in which the vehicles were being transported were held.
Mr Qureshi said all the vehicles were stolen from the UK, and that it will work with Kenyan authorities to ship them back.