Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) said nearly two tons of illegal drugs were seized in March this year, APA can report on Tuesday.
In a statement it issued on Tuesday, DCEA said it has also destroyed cannabis farms and arrested dozens of suspects in a series of nationwide operations that in turn changed trafficking patterns across the country.
Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) Commissioner General Aretas Lymo confiscated 1,983.31 kilogram of various narcotic substances during the month, alongside 3,012.5 kilogram and 17,960 liters of precursor chemicals commonly used in the manufacture of illegal drugs. Officers also seized 286 tablets and 1,001 bottles of controlled medicinal drugs.
In addition, 55.5 acres of cannabis farms were destroyed and 77 suspects arrested in connection with drug-related offences. Nine vehicles, 12 motorcycles and one three-wheeler were impounded during the operations.
“The latest figures reveal a notable shift in trafficking trends, with mirungi (khat) accounting for the largest share of seizures. A total of 1,267.12 kilogram’s equivalent to about 64 percent of all drugs seized during the month, were confiscated.
Lymo attributed the increase to intensified enforcement efforts in rural areas after significant progress in disrupting organised networks previously linked to industrial-scale narcotics trafficking.
According to him, in Dar es Salaam, they intercepted 101.2 kilogram of mirungi hidden inside a bus in Tegeta Kibo. The drugs had been concealed in several compartments of the bus, including the air conditioning system, during a journey from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam. Five suspects, including the driver and conductor, were arrested.
Elsewhere in the Coast Region, authorities seized 419.09 kilogram of mirungi that was being transported towards the commercial capital.
Further seizures were reported in Longido District in Arusha Region, where 106.25 kilograms of mirungi were intercepted in a private vehicle, leading to the arrest of two suspects, including a ward councillor. Another 138.42 kilogrammes were recovered in related operations across the region.
MG/as/APA