Smuggling ring suspected as 22 boxes slip customs in Mombasa

The Kenyan Revenue Authority (KRA) is working to uncover a smuggling ring at the Port of Mombasa after 22 boxes slipped through customs unchecked and untaxed, reports the Nairobi Daily Nation.
The KPA`s computer software - Kwatos - has been blamed after it received a number of bogus entries relating to the containers. Entries were falsely attributed to Simba, an online monitoring system that the tax department uses to electronically clear shipments for passage.
A KRA official revealed that Simba had no record of the untaxed containers, indicating that the authority was completely unaware of the false approval being passed on to Kwatos.
A further investigation of the container release documents failed to reveal the breakdown of manual security protocols, with KRA officials claiming they were unaware of the containers` removal. Under the system KRA officers are required to physically clear goods or declare them tax-exempt where applicable using a stamping mechanism.
Investigators are now working on the theory that the illegal transfer of goods, which mostly comprised of textile products, was undertaken by a single cartel.
The KRA has been collaborating with the Kenya`s Anti-Corruption Authority on the matter, together with the Office of the Prosecutor. The perpetrators, if found, would be convicted under the country`s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, which in addition to hefty fines, would also impose a custodial sentence of up to 10 years.