State will confiscate your truck and goods, council warns scrap metal smugglers

Traders caught illegally transporting scrap metal will have their trucks and cargo impounded by the government, the Scrap Metal Council has warned.

The council, through its chairman Francis Mugo, said it would strictly enforce the Scrap Metal Act, which stipulates that the export of scrap metal is illegal and a vehicle found exporting the same will be impounded by the state and the goods confiscated.

He decried the fact that previous offenders caught transporting scrap metal illegally had been let off the hook with lenient fines and allowed to have their vehicles and goods back, contrary to the law.

"We want this to serve as a warning to other scrap metal smugglers, the law is clear, but they have continued to operate with impunity, flouting the law," Mr Mugo said. Mr Mugo said.

Mr Mugo on Tuesday (October 4) urged the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) at the Taita-Taveta border to seize the scrap batteries and the truck that was caught transporting the consignment to Tanzania on Saturday.

He told KRA officials to confiscate the scrap batteries first as they were waiting for the police to charge in court those arrested over the weekend for transporting the batteries fake Nema licences.

On Saturday, KRA officials intercepted the trucks transporting scrap batteries to Tanzania through the Taveta border post and upon inspection, the Nema licence used was found to be fake.

"One of the trucks was escorted by KRA officials to the customs offices at Taveta where it is being held. We are investigating how the owner managed to obtain the Nema licence," said Mugo.

The other truck is being processed, awaiting verification of the documents provided by the driver before any action is taken.

Nema Director General Mamo Mamo said his officers were investigating the authenticity of the licence presented by the traders.

"My officers are in the process of verifying the validity of the documents after which action will be taken," Mamo said.

KRA chairman Anthony Mwaura said the authority would intensify surveillance at all border points to rid them of smugglers.

Mugo said most of the scrap metal from vandalised infrastructure was being smuggled out of the country.

"We have found that most of the vandalised material is smuggled to neighbouring countries where the enforcement aspect is a bit relaxed," said Mugo.

The Scrap Metal Council has expressed concern over the increasing cases of scrap metal being smuggled out of the country and is urging security agencies to step up efforts to stop unscrupulous traders from operating.

Mugo said the most smuggled metal was scrap batteries, which were in high demand in neighbouring countries.