Freeland
JF-Expert Member
- Jan 24, 2012
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Wadau ,
Gazeti la Citizen la Leo Lina Nukuu zifuatazo;
Maofisa wa ofisi ya mkemia mkuu na kitengo ca kupambana na dawa za kulevya waliruhusu/waliingiza kemikali zenye thamani ya Tshs 28 Bn zitazotumika kutengeneza Milipuko/MABOMU
Kemikali hizo zimezuiliwa Karachi, nchini Pakistan kupisha uchunguzi
Kemikali hizi zimeingizwa kutoka china
Waziri Jenista Mhagama agoma kutoa comment yoyote akidai uchunguzi ukamilike kwanza
Kiasi kilichokamatwa cha ACETIC anhydride Ni kikubwa kuwahi kukamatwa duniani kote
Mkemia mkuu alipohojiwa na Citizen amedai kutokuwa na taarifa rasmi kuhusu hilo
Kemikali hizo zimeandikwa kuwa zimetengenezwa Tanzania
===================
Dar es Salaam. New details of how a 20-foot container of a chemical used in the manufacture of heroin was imported into Tanzania from China and later re-exported to Pakistan show that authorities in the country may have had a hand in facilitating the movement of the restricted substance.
The Citizen has gathered facts indicating that two senior officials in the office of the Chief Government Chemist (CGC) and one from the Drugs Control Commission (DCC) endorsed the importation of the chemical, worth about Sh28 billion, which could also be used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Pakistani authorities seized the container as soon as it arrived from Tanzania and launched an investigation to establish how the chemical banned for trade in the country found its way in.
Sources privy to the ongoing investigation confided that a multi-task team swung into action as soon as the Pakistani government raised the alarm upon discovery of the contraband, which is usually sought by drug cartels for the manufacture of narcotics, especially heroin.
The fact that the chemical is also used to make bombs would have further concerned the Pakistani government. It was, however, not stated where the final destination of the container was at its interception in Karachi. Back in Dar es Salaam, authorities are reportedly pursuing leads that are likely to lead to arrests and prosecution of those involved in the deal.
According to our inquiries, questions are being asked about who granted permission to Chinese authorities to allow exportation into Tanzania of nearly 22 tonnes of the illegal chemical.
China reportedly sought to know whether the laws in Tanzania allowed the importation of the said chemical–acetic anhydride.
The Citizen’s investigations established that the three officials from the CGC abnd DCC gave the green light to the effect that such a chemical could be imported to Tanzania while knowing that they were banned in Tanzania.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Ms Jenister Mhagama, declined to comment on the development and advised to The Citizen to be patient until investigations were concluded.
“It is not appropriate to discuss such a very sensitive issue at this stage…please, I’m asking you to wait at this stage. We’ll let you know when investigations are over,” she said.
Authorities in Karachi had in January, this year, seized the chemical which they said originated from Tanzania. The amount, according to Pakistani news website—The International News—was by far the biggest quantity of acetic anhydride seized anywhere in the world.
It reported that the chemical was discovered in a 20-foot container after it had arrived at Port Qasim from Tanzania. The Dar es Salaam port management quickly dismissed the reports that the container had originated from within its jurisdiction. In a statement, the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) said the reports had not revealed the container log details to confirm the origin of the cargo.
According to reports, the container was declared to contain “acetic acid glacial” when landing in Pakistan, but Qasim port authorities, upon receiving credible information, profiled and searched the container said to have been imported from Dar es Salaam last November before it was docked at a container terminal in Karachi.
The Pakistanis primarily suspected the consignment in view of the fact that Tanzania was not a known traditional producer of acetic acid. Acetic anhydride is banned in many countries because it is used as the major precursor for the production of heroin and is also used in the manufacture of IEDs.
The Chief Government Chemist has confirmed that Tanzania does not indeed manufacture the chemical and that its handling is actually restricted.
But The Citizen has established that after Tanzanian officials gave the nod for the importation of the chemical, the consignee in China put the container in a ship which arrived in Tanzania sometimes in August, last year.
Chinese authorities apparently reached out to their Tanzanian counterparts over the legality or lack of it to grant export clearance. The officials from the CGC and DCC offices reported replied and signed documents to endorse the importation to the country contrary to the law.
Investigations show that upon arriving at Dar es Salaam port, the container was taken to a house in Kurasini close to the Tanzania Episcopal Centre (TEC) and stayed there for nearly three months as owners processed fresh documents to re-export it to Pakistan as a new consignment.
The owners reportedly stated it was not acetic anhydride to deceived authorities in Tanzania.
The Citizen has learnt that individual at the Dar es Salaam port who were in one way or another involved in pre-export inspection of the container have already been identified. Tanzanian investigators are also currently working with their counterparts in Karachi and China to establish whether similar consignments have entered in Tanzania in a similar manner.
DCC Commissioner Kenneth Kasseke was not ready to discuss the matter and asked this reporter to present questions officially in writing.
“Write to the commission and we will reply in detail. I’m currently not in the office, need time to make reference to our records,” he said.
Chief Government Chemist Samuel Manyele told The Citizen that he had no official information on the ongoing investigations.
“I will have to go back to our statistics to establish what really happened. We do not allow export of that substance,” he said.
Prof Manyele added that acetic anhydride was not manufactured in Tanzania and its importation was subject to strict permission and handling by his office.
“To my understanding, no one is allowed to import or export such chemical. We have an import permit data sheet in which we record all chemicals entering through all our borders,” he said.
Prof Manyele did not rule out the possibility that the alleged importers and exporters of the consignment might have conspired to forge documents to facilitate the deal.
“We have to admit that these people who imported that chemical illegally are criminals, but I’m not sure, if it is true, what procedure they used to import the chemical. They might also declared the consignment’s origin as Tanzania to tarnish the image of our country,” he said.
Local officials linked to Sh28bn heroin chemical
Gazeti la Citizen la Leo Lina Nukuu zifuatazo;
Maofisa wa ofisi ya mkemia mkuu na kitengo ca kupambana na dawa za kulevya waliruhusu/waliingiza kemikali zenye thamani ya Tshs 28 Bn zitazotumika kutengeneza Milipuko/MABOMU
Kemikali hizo zimezuiliwa Karachi, nchini Pakistan kupisha uchunguzi
Kemikali hizi zimeingizwa kutoka china
Waziri Jenista Mhagama agoma kutoa comment yoyote akidai uchunguzi ukamilike kwanza
Kiasi kilichokamatwa cha ACETIC anhydride Ni kikubwa kuwahi kukamatwa duniani kote
Mkemia mkuu alipohojiwa na Citizen amedai kutokuwa na taarifa rasmi kuhusu hilo
Kemikali hizo zimeandikwa kuwa zimetengenezwa Tanzania
===================
Dar es Salaam. New details of how a 20-foot container of a chemical used in the manufacture of heroin was imported into Tanzania from China and later re-exported to Pakistan show that authorities in the country may have had a hand in facilitating the movement of the restricted substance.
The Citizen has gathered facts indicating that two senior officials in the office of the Chief Government Chemist (CGC) and one from the Drugs Control Commission (DCC) endorsed the importation of the chemical, worth about Sh28 billion, which could also be used to make improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Pakistani authorities seized the container as soon as it arrived from Tanzania and launched an investigation to establish how the chemical banned for trade in the country found its way in.
Sources privy to the ongoing investigation confided that a multi-task team swung into action as soon as the Pakistani government raised the alarm upon discovery of the contraband, which is usually sought by drug cartels for the manufacture of narcotics, especially heroin.
The fact that the chemical is also used to make bombs would have further concerned the Pakistani government. It was, however, not stated where the final destination of the container was at its interception in Karachi. Back in Dar es Salaam, authorities are reportedly pursuing leads that are likely to lead to arrests and prosecution of those involved in the deal.
According to our inquiries, questions are being asked about who granted permission to Chinese authorities to allow exportation into Tanzania of nearly 22 tonnes of the illegal chemical.
China reportedly sought to know whether the laws in Tanzania allowed the importation of the said chemical–acetic anhydride.
The Citizen’s investigations established that the three officials from the CGC abnd DCC gave the green light to the effect that such a chemical could be imported to Tanzania while knowing that they were banned in Tanzania.
The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Labour, Employment, Youth and the Disabled, Ms Jenister Mhagama, declined to comment on the development and advised to The Citizen to be patient until investigations were concluded.
“It is not appropriate to discuss such a very sensitive issue at this stage…please, I’m asking you to wait at this stage. We’ll let you know when investigations are over,” she said.
Authorities in Karachi had in January, this year, seized the chemical which they said originated from Tanzania. The amount, according to Pakistani news website—The International News—was by far the biggest quantity of acetic anhydride seized anywhere in the world.
It reported that the chemical was discovered in a 20-foot container after it had arrived at Port Qasim from Tanzania. The Dar es Salaam port management quickly dismissed the reports that the container had originated from within its jurisdiction. In a statement, the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) said the reports had not revealed the container log details to confirm the origin of the cargo.
According to reports, the container was declared to contain “acetic acid glacial” when landing in Pakistan, but Qasim port authorities, upon receiving credible information, profiled and searched the container said to have been imported from Dar es Salaam last November before it was docked at a container terminal in Karachi.
The Pakistanis primarily suspected the consignment in view of the fact that Tanzania was not a known traditional producer of acetic acid. Acetic anhydride is banned in many countries because it is used as the major precursor for the production of heroin and is also used in the manufacture of IEDs.
The Chief Government Chemist has confirmed that Tanzania does not indeed manufacture the chemical and that its handling is actually restricted.
But The Citizen has established that after Tanzanian officials gave the nod for the importation of the chemical, the consignee in China put the container in a ship which arrived in Tanzania sometimes in August, last year.
Chinese authorities apparently reached out to their Tanzanian counterparts over the legality or lack of it to grant export clearance. The officials from the CGC and DCC offices reported replied and signed documents to endorse the importation to the country contrary to the law.
Investigations show that upon arriving at Dar es Salaam port, the container was taken to a house in Kurasini close to the Tanzania Episcopal Centre (TEC) and stayed there for nearly three months as owners processed fresh documents to re-export it to Pakistan as a new consignment.
The owners reportedly stated it was not acetic anhydride to deceived authorities in Tanzania.
The Citizen has learnt that individual at the Dar es Salaam port who were in one way or another involved in pre-export inspection of the container have already been identified. Tanzanian investigators are also currently working with their counterparts in Karachi and China to establish whether similar consignments have entered in Tanzania in a similar manner.
DCC Commissioner Kenneth Kasseke was not ready to discuss the matter and asked this reporter to present questions officially in writing.
“Write to the commission and we will reply in detail. I’m currently not in the office, need time to make reference to our records,” he said.
Chief Government Chemist Samuel Manyele told The Citizen that he had no official information on the ongoing investigations.
“I will have to go back to our statistics to establish what really happened. We do not allow export of that substance,” he said.
Prof Manyele added that acetic anhydride was not manufactured in Tanzania and its importation was subject to strict permission and handling by his office.
“To my understanding, no one is allowed to import or export such chemical. We have an import permit data sheet in which we record all chemicals entering through all our borders,” he said.
Prof Manyele did not rule out the possibility that the alleged importers and exporters of the consignment might have conspired to forge documents to facilitate the deal.
“We have to admit that these people who imported that chemical illegally are criminals, but I’m not sure, if it is true, what procedure they used to import the chemical. They might also declared the consignment’s origin as Tanzania to tarnish the image of our country,” he said.
Local officials linked to Sh28bn heroin chemical
