Our attention is drawn to the editorial in a daily newspaper on a Police crackdown against stolen vehicles imported into the country. While some of the vehicles were sold to unsuspecting Kenyans by auto cartels operating overseas, Kenyans are urged to exercise caution and judgment in financial transactions overseas to protect themselves from such cartels engaged in organized trans-national crime. In doing so, Kenyans will assist in ensuring our country does not become a destination for stolen goods as this portends serious security consequences.

The Police will today release all the impounded vehicles after retaining copies of the logbooks to facilitate further investigations into forged clearance certificates, logbooks and importation documents from both the ports of origin and the countries from which such vehicles were allegedly stolen.

The Kenya Police is ready to assist any Kenyan who wishes to confirm the status of a vehicle he or she intends to purchase overseas before finalizing financing transactions. Those who fail to do so must recognize the risk of such vehicles being barred from entering the country in the event they are listed as stolen. The procedures for seeking such assistance will be made public through the media.

The Kenya Police will soon operationalize the extension of computerized databanks to both Kilindini Port and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to detect the importation of stolen vehicles. Any vehicle listed as stolen will be returned to the port of origin at the cost of the importer.
The Police urge the media to support law enforcement agencies at all times by upholding the rule of law in a forthright and non-partisan manner.

(GIDEON M. KIBUNJAH)
FOR: COMMISSIONER OF POLICE

27th April, 2006