Detectives from Kabete Police Station arrested two men, identified as Alex Mwaruta and James Munala Inyangala, after raiding a residential homestead in Muthua, Kabete, where they allegedly found the pair in the middle of processing counterfeit juice.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the operation followed a tip-off from a member of the public who raised suspicions about unusual activity at the property. "What looked like an ordinary homestead in Muthua, Kabete, was being used as a clandestine juice factory, until a vigilant member of the public blew the whistle. Acting on the information, detectives from Kabete Police Station responded swiftly," the DCI said. Both suspects were arrested on the spot.

A search of the premises turned up approximately 1,400 filled 200ml and 300ml bottles of suspected counterfeit juice, along with 56 cartons of empty bottles, five packets of bottle tops, two blue drums and three assorted-colour basins. Detectives also recovered office glue, rubber stamps and ink, assorted stickers, and an expired certificate authorising use of the Standardisation Mark for a well-known juice brand, as well as unidentified powdery and colourless substances packaged in polythene bags in 50-gram portions and in bottles. All items were processed by Crime Scene Investigation officers and secured as exhibits; one report said the recovered materials were handed to the Anti-Counterfeit Authority for further examination.

Both suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue. The DCI said beverages produced in unregulated, unhygienic environments pose serious health risks and that counterfeit products undermine legitimate manufacturers while depriving the government of tax revenue. Investigators are working to establish the source of the materials used, the intended market for the products, and whether other individuals or businesses were involved in the operation.