Dar es Salaam. The High Court of Tanzania has sentenced two Dar es Salaam residents to life imprisonment after finding them guilty of trafficking more than 15 kilogrammes of heroin, while acquitting a third accused person for lack of evidence.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division of the High Court, sitting in Dar es Salaam and presided over by Justice Sedekia Kisanya, convicted Suleiman Ngulangwa and a diploma student at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT), Mr Farid Said, for trafficking 15.19 kilogrammes of heroin.
The court, however, acquitted Ms Sharifa Bakari, the mother of Farid Said and aunt of Mr Suleiman Ngulangwa, after finding that the prosecution had failed to link her to the narcotics.
Justice Kisanya also ordered the return of Sh873,000 seized from the second and third accused after ruling that the prosecution had not proved the money was proceeds of crime.
According to the judgment delivered on Monday, June 1, 2026, and uploaded to the Judiciary website on Tuesday, June 2, 2016, Ms Bakari was found with Sh373,000, while Mr Said had Sh500,000.
Initially, all three accused were charged with trafficking heroin allegedly recovered on November 30, 2022, in the Charambe Secondary School area of Temeke District, Dar es Salaam.
The accused denied the charges.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered nine exhibits.
How the arrests were made
The court heard that on November 27, 2022, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Hassan Msangi received intelligence information regarding a suspected drug trafficker at Utamu Restaurant along Ufipa Road in Kinondoni District.
After informing his superior, ASP Msangi mobilised a team of officers and proceeded to the area, where an informant identified the first accused, Mr Ngulangwa.
According to prosecution evidence, Mr Ngulangwa was arrested but attempted to flee before being re-arrested.
An independent witness, Mr Mohamed Maalim, the restaurant manager, was called to observe a search during which officers recovered Sh5 million, a vehicle key, a motor vehicle and two mobile phones.
The court heard that a preliminary search was conducted at the scene before a more detailed search was carried out at the offices of the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA).
Two days later, on November 29, 2022, Inspector Wamba Msafiri escorted Mr Ngulangwa to a house near Charambe Secondary School, where he allegedly led officers to a stash of drugs.
A search resulted in the recovery of a sack containing 16 packages suspected to be narcotics.
Police also recovered Sh500,000 from Mr Farid Said’s room and Sh373,000 from Ms Bakari’s room.
The substances were subsequently submitted to the Government Chemist Authority, which confirmed they were heroin weighing 15.19 kilogrammes.
Defence arguments
Mr Ngulangwa denied the charges, telling the court he worked as a car broker and had initially been arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft.
He disputed the prosecution's account of events, claiming he was blindfolded and unlawfully detained until December 17, 2022.
He also denied any knowledge of the drugs.
Ms Bakari told the court she was a small-scale trader dealing in juice, halwa, cakes, mandazi and bottled water.
She said she had been caring for her sick mother in Mbande from November 9 to 29, 2022, and was arrested at her home during the night before being forced to sign documents she did not understand.
Mr Said told the court he was a DIT student studying electrical and telecommunications engineering and lived in student hostels.
He said he was arrested after returning home from the hostel on November 29, 2022, and denied any involvement in drug trafficking.
Court findings
In his judgment, Justice Kisanya said the prosecution had successfully proved that the substance produced as Exhibit PE3 was heroin weighing 15.19 kilogrammes.
The key issue before the court, he said, was whether the accused persons could be linked to possession of the narcotics.
The judge found that the evidence placed Mr Ngulangwa at the centre of the operation and sufficiently connected both him and Mr Said to possession and knowledge of the heroin.
However, the court found no evidence showing that Ms Bakari knew about the drugs or participated in the trafficking operation.
“In conclusion, the second issue of whether the accused were found in possession of Exhibit PE3 is answered in the affirmative for the first and third accused and in the negative for the second accused,” Mr Judge Kisanya.
Despite mitigation pleas from the convicted persons, the court noted that the law prescribes a mandatory life sentence for trafficking narcotic drugs.
The judge also ordered the destruction of the heroin in accordance with the law and directed that forfeiture proceedings be undertaken.
He further ruled that any property not subjected to successful forfeiture proceedings should be returned to its rightful owner.
