Over 673kg of drugs seized in Dar es Salaam coast by authorities
What you need to know:
- Out of the total haul, 448.3 kilograms were linked to eight Pakistani nationals who were apprehended in the Indian Ocean.
Dar es Salaam. The relentless battle against drug trafficking, which continues to endanger the nation’s workforce, particularly its youth, has reached a significant milestone.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA), in partnership with other security agencies, has confiscated 673.2 kilograms of methamphetamine and heroin in a sweeping operation.
Out of the total haul, 448.3 kilograms were linked to eight Pakistani nationals who were apprehended in the Indian Ocean.
The drugs had been concealed within a Pakistani-registered dhow bearing the identification number B.F.D 16548. An additional 224.9 kilograms were seized along the shores of the Indian Ocean in Dar es Salaam.
These revelations were made today, Thursday, 9 January 2025, by the Commissioner General of the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority, Aretas Lyimo, during a press briefing on the 2024 drug seizure report.
Commissioner General Lyimo disclosed that the intercepted drugs were seized between November and December 2024.
“During our interrogation of the Pakistani nationals, they admitted to having transported drugs from Asia to Africa for the past 28 years,” Lyimo stated.
“Once in Africa, they distribute these substances to other countries, often using dhows or alternative transport methods for non-coastal nations. The dhow we intercepted has an eight-ton carrying capacity for drugs, and its seizure has significantly disrupted this trafficking chain,” he added.
Lyimo further confirmed that the detained Pakistani nationals would face legal proceedings at Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court later today.
