In May and June of this year, officers from the Tanzania Drug Enforcement Administration (DCEA) conducted large-scale raids across the country, seizing 22.6 tons of illegal psychoactive substances and detaining 188 people. These actions show that the Government's policy in the field of combating drug trafficking has become much tougher.
Authorities confiscated 22.6 tons of illegal goods. They also found 30.5 liters of tetrahydrocannabinol-laced liquid and almost 20 kilograms of pharmaceuticals requiring strict licensing. Cannabis crops spanning 228.5 acres were eradicated, and 3.3 tons of harvested cannabis and khat leaves were incinerated. Six cars, two tricycles, and 33 motorcycles linked to criminal organizations were impounded.
The incident at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, where a shipment of AFA CELL (moringa extract) food additives was intercepted, deserves special attention. Laboratory tests revealed in the products prazepam, a controlled substance from the benzodiazepine class used to treat anxiety disorders and insomnia. The cargo was coming from Malaysia and was supposed to be shipped to Barbados. Three suspects have been detained as part of the investigation. In another special operation, law enforcement agencies, together with the State Chemical Laboratory Administration (GCLA), the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Administration (TMDA), seized 122 cans of TRIP energy drink in a supermarket in Dar es Salaam. The seizure occurred due to the discovery of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive substance from cannabis, in the drink. Two suspects have been detained in the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
The raids revealed large shipments of kata, heroin, and skunk cannabis in the Arusha, Kilimanjaro, and Dar es Salaam regions. It is reported that marijuana plantations in Dodoma, Lindy, Gate and Sengerema counties have been eliminated as part of a law enforcement campaign.
The DCEA said that thanks to cooperation with the law enforcement agencies of Eswatini, South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia, Tanzanians have been identified leading cross-border drug trafficking from abroad. The Agency intends to continue joint actions with regional partners to detain suspects and defeat criminal communities. The agency will also strengthen control over the turnover of food additives, medicines and chemical products, warning that traffickers of prohibited substances are increasingly using legal channels to conceal controlled drugs.
