Border security officers accused of abetting smuggling of scrap metal

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has accused security agencies on Kenya’s porous borders of colluding with smugglers.

Acting Commissioner Customs and Border Control Pamela Ahogo said joint efforts between the authority and security agencies is crucial in fighting smuggling.

Ahogo said smuggling, especially of scrap metal, has been on the rise. She said efforts by customs officials to arrest the vice were being hampered by lack of collaboration between the two agencies.

“We have written to the Interior Ministry seeking a meeting to discuss this vice,” Ahogo said in an interview yesterday.

Despite scrap metal export being outlawed, some traders are exporting mainly scrap automotive batteries using “panya routes”.

Ahago lauded customs officials at the Taveta border point for their efforts to control smuggling.

Last week customs officials at the border point intercepted two trucks exporting scrap batteries to Tanzania without necessary documents.

One of the trucks has since been impounded.

Forfeited

Ahogo said KRA is committed to eradicating the crime but called for more concerted efforts by all players.

She called for stringent penalties on dealers who illegally export scrap metal to neighbouring countries.

Early this year a driver was arrested and the truck impounded at Oloitoktok in Kajiado County transporting scrap batteries to Tanzania.

The two drivers were later convicted and fined Sh300,000 and their trucks forfeited to the State.

Mamo Mamo, Nema Director General, said the authority, in partnership with other government agencies, had adopted an intelligence-based enforcement approach, where they gather intelligence before striking.

“This approach has really worked and has truly borne fruit with arrests of the offenders dealing with hazardous waste along our porous borders,” he said.

Scrap metal dealers have opted to use unmanned porous borders to transport the items after the police and KRA tightened inspection at the border points.

Sh20 million fine

Unscrupulous traders are using unmanned points in Busia, Namanga, Taveta and Lungalunga as the main routes to drive the illegal scrap metal trade.

Offenders are liable to a jail term of up to 20 years or a fine of Sh20 million or both. The owners of the two trucks transporting the scrap batteries also forfeit the vehicles to the State, according to the Scrap Metals Act.

 Kenya banned the export of scrap metals, which includes spent-lead-acid–batteries (SLABs), through the law enacted in 2015.

The legislation is meant to support the retention of raw materials for value addition and provides stringent conditions under which exports of lead would be permitted.

Automotive battery manufacturers have been pushing for full implementation of the law.

Automotive battery manufacturers rely on lead extracted and recycled to make the batteries, referred to as recycling SLABs.

The East African region has two lead-acid battery manufacturers, namely Associated Battery Manufacturers and Uganda Batteries Ltd.