An illegal consignment nabbed by Kenya Navy officers patrolling the Indian Ocean has been burned.
Illegal shipment worth Ksh25 million burnt
Shipment burned to avoid the spread of coronavirus
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Reports have indicated that authorities torched 70 sacks of miraa worth an approximate value of Ksh25 million as part of efforts to fight the spread of Covid-19.
The miraa was reportedly being smuggled to Somalia before it was intercepted.
Drastic measures were taken in Somalia and Kenya where authorities have been shutting down markets nationwide, impacting the movement of goods, including khat.
Illegal export
The navy officers handed the consignment over to the Kenya Coast Guard Service who then set it ablaze at Kitau beach on the Manda Island.
Last month officials banned the export of miraa saying that because khat is picked and moved by hand, it could be a vector for coronavirus.
Miraa is a wildly popular herbal stimulant in Somalia that is said to increase energy, deepen focus and suppress appetite.
However, Kenyan miraa still reaches Mogadishu but has to be illegally brought in by skiffs from the coastal town of Kismayu
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