Four cybercrime suspects arrested in Tanzania’s Mtwara city linked to fraud network across 11 regions
Four youths alleged to be involved in cyber fraud, who were arrested by the Mtwara Regional Police Force during a place conference held on Saturday, July 4, 2026. PHOTO| SALMA MKALIBALA
Mtwara. Police in Mtwara Region, through the Cybercrime Unit, have arrested four suspects accused of involvement in fraud and other cyber offences across 11 regions of the country.
Mtwara Regional Police Commander Issa Suleiman told journalists on Saturday, June 4, 2026, that the suspects had been entering Mtwara at different times, where they allegedly committed fraud targeting financial service providers before relocating to other parts of the country.
The suspects have been identified as Ibrahimu Adam Mfinanga, also known as DJ Ibra; Steven Elias Matiko, alias Kurya Boy (29); George Misabo Angima (30); and Danie Thobias Marwa, all residents of Mwanza Region.
Commander Suleiman said preliminary investigations indicate the group was linked to cybercrime incidents reported in Iringa, Tanga, Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma, Njombe, Mbeya, Dodoma, Coast, Shinyanga and Mwanza regions.
He said police recovered 10 mobile phones and 10 SIM cards from different service providers during the arrest, which were allegedly not registered in the suspects’ true identities and used in the commission of the offences.
He added that investigations are ongoing to identify other possible accomplices, and once completed, the suspects will be taken to court for prosecution.
Residents in Mtwara District who may have been victims of the alleged fraud have been urged to report to Mtwara Central Police Station to assist with identification and ongoing investigations.
Meanwhile, the regional police force has cautioned financial service agents against handing over transaction phones to unknown individuals, warning that such negligence could facilitate cybercrime.
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