GANG MAKING TOMATO SAUCE USING CHEMICALS BUSTED

People in Nakuru are being cautioned when it comes to buying spices as police busted a criminal syndicate that was making tomato sauce using chemicals.

The Kenya Police raided Bondeni slums within Nakuru town where they found fake tomato sauce worth 80,000.

One suspect was arrested during the raid.

The operation — led by Nakuru County Commissioner Erastus Mbui — followed a tip off from the public.

The tomato sauce was made by mixing various chemicals, sugar, water and then added preservatives.

The concoction would then be heated to smoothen the mixture.

No single tomato was used in the entire manufacturing process.

“The owner claimed that even though the product is not of quality, it is of high demand, and in a single day, he supplies more than 100 litres to various hotels,” said Nakuru Town East Police Commander Elenna Kabukuru.

Kabukuru told Standard Digital that the fake sauce was manufactured and sold to various hotels and other fast-food meal outlets within the town.

Preliminary investigations show that the crook gang has been selling the fake tomato juice for close to 8 years now.

They had labels of various tomato sauce brands with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBs) labels. Alongside the fake tomato sauce, they manufactured fake chilli sauce.

“We are liaising with KEBs officers to investigate the crime before charging the suspect,” said Kabukuru.

This is not the first fake product to come from Nakuru. It has become a den for fake manufacturing syndicates. In 2016, the Ministry of Health busted a yogurt manufacturing and distribution syndicate in Nakuru town.