Editor's Review

The DCI officer was given a lorry loaded with the contraband goods and escorted by a top-of-range Toyota Prado before other sleuths pounced.

Detectives drawn from the Operations Support Unit (OSU) have seized contraband milk powder at Nairobi Eastern Bypass after tricking a businessman with a Ksh2 million deal.

In a statement dated Thursday, January 4, DCI noted that the contraband milk powder was set to be distributed to various parts of the country before it was seized.

In the sting operation, an unsuspecting known broker in Eastleigh identified as Ali Noor directed an undercover hawkshaw to the Kamakis area along Eastern Bypass.

The said DCI detective posed as a potential buyer of their product. 

Contraband milk powder seized by DCI detectives on Thursday, January 4, 2024. PHOTO | COURTESY

At the godown at Eastern Bypass, the DCI detective was given a full lorry loaded with the contraband milk powder, 150 bags each weighing 25 kg. 

The agreed price was Ksh16,500 per bag, translating to Ksh2,475,000 in the transaction. 

To help seal the purchase, the truck was escorted by a Toyota Prado only for other DCI officers who were closely following the deal pounced on them.

"Other detectives who were stealthily following pounced on the two suspects (Joseph Waweru and Ali Noor) but the youthful truck driver beetled off like a terrified rat," DCI stated.

"After interrogation, OSU team managed to trace the godown of the main suspect (Joseph Waweru) which is located at Twin Industrial Park Godowns within Ruai area off Eastern Bypass. Gaining access in the presence of the suspect, they recovered another 1150 bags each weighing 25Kg of milk powder (5brands) and 289 bags each weighing 25Kg of Maize corn starch,"the statement added.

The brands of the milk powder include 181 bags of branded Fresh Dairy products from Brookside Uganda, 421 bags of branded Gardo products from New Zealand, 485 bags of Non-Dairy Creamer products from China, 56 bags of branded SAMA products from New Zealand, 6 bags of branded Lato product of Uganda & 289 bags of maize corn starch product of India.