A team of detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), working together with investigators from Uganda and Interpol, successfully recovered 7,420 bags of caustic soda in Uganda.
This caustic soda is equivalent to seven shipping containers full of the product.
These goods had been stolen from an Indian businessman by international scammers.
This operation took place in the Bweyogere Industrial Area in Kampala, Uganda, after the businessman, Surya Parkash, reported the theft to the DCI.
Parkash had originally ordered 104 containers of caustic soda, which were worth Sh.267 million.
However, he realized that these goods had been sent to fake companies between December 12, 2022, and April 2023.
Caustic soda is a substance used in laboratories and for cleaning.
“According to the complainant who flew to Kenya from India to file his report at DCI headquarters, five companies identified as Abbey Chemicals East Africa LTD, Innospec LTD, Akoki Investment Agency LTD, CJP Chemicals LTD, and UNATRAL Free Zone SMC Uganda LTD, had ordered for the consignment which was delivered through the port of Mombasa, between January 31, 2023, and May 15, 2023,” the DCI said in a statement
The DCI explained, “But immediately the last container was offloaded at the port, the consignees who had not paid for the shipment went under, and severed communication with the supplier.”
The investigation is ongoing to recover the rest of the stolen goods and to apprehend the individuals involved.