Wakudadavuwa
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- Feb 17, 2016
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Sh2 billion heroin haul intercepted at border
What is believed to be high-grade heroin and 18kg of khat worth over Sh2 billion were being ferried from Kenya aboard the vehicle, property of Impala Shuttles of Arusha.
Dar es Salaam. Police at the Tanzania-Kenya border at Namanga seized on Thursday 25kg of heroin that was being smuggled into the country using a tourist shuttle minibus.
What is believed to be high-grade heroin and 18kg of khat worth over Sh2 billion were being ferried from Kenya aboard the vehicle, property of Impala Shuttles of Arusha.
The police are already holding the minibus driver, Mr Munisi Aminadabo, who was returning to Arusha from Nairobi where he had just dropped tourists.
Together with other security agencies at the border, the police suspected the van and subjected it to a secondary inspection, during which they found two plastic bags of 25kg stuffed with the drugs.
“We are in the very early stages of investigation but our preliminary inquiries suggest the haul was to be delivered to a businessman in Arusha,” said our source who requested anonymity.
This is the biggest seizure of heroin in the country in recent months.
The Arusha police boss said he couldn’t give details on the matter, but acting Regional Police Commander Yusuf Ilembo confirmed the arrest, they were still holding Mr Aminadabo for questioning.
Before laboratory test confirmed that the drugs were indeed heroin, the driver of the van had told the police that the flour-like substance were being taken to hospital in Arusha for POP plaster use.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has already sent a team to Arusha to help with the investigations and ensure safe custody of the drugs and other exhibits seized with the suspect. Sources say the police in Arusha have agreed that the suspects be transported to Dar es Salaam and be questioned by the DCEA.
“The suspects are likely to be questioned at DCEA in Dar es Salaam as we try to establish ownership of the consignment,” said DCEA official.
The seizure of the drugs has given credence to widespread claims that some tourist vans are used to facilitate cross-border drug business, particularly between Tanzania and Kenya.
Two years ago, police in Arusha seized a tourist vehicle belonging to Wengert Windrose Safaris (T) Limited carrying 11 bags of marijuana.
The Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Frank Faustine was seized at Ranchi area in Longido District with the marijuana that was destined for Kenya.
The Police were suspicious of the car which was known to regularly pass through the police roadblock with tourists but after a search discovered their was not carried any tourist but a huge quantity of marijuana.
Wangert Safaris manager, Ms Aurelia Mtuy, was quick to distance her company from any link with the illicit herbs that were seized.
Investigators say a syndicate of drug dealers has resorted to using vehicles belonging to tourist companies, government institutions and even prominent individuals to transport drugs.
This comes just a week after The Citizen reported that the Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) had seized over five tonnes of highly restricted chemicals that can be used in the production of heroin and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
DCEA officers, in collaboration with the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and the office of the Government Chemist Laboratory Agency (GCLA), seized the dangerous chemicals at godowns at Mwenge in Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo (a backyard storage) and Moshi two weeks ago. It is the biggest seizure of such chemicals in Tanzania.
Authorities are still assessing the actual value of the precursor but sources at the anti-drugs commission say they could run into billions.
DCEA Commissioner General Rogers Sianga confirmed the seizure, saying a task force was working to establish legitimacy of importation of the chemicals whose supply and use is locally and internationally highly controlled.
The Citizen has learnt that the owner of the consignment, Dar es Salaam businessman Benedict Assey, was arrested and questioned over the haul. He was released on police bail.
Source: The Citizen
What is believed to be high-grade heroin and 18kg of khat worth over Sh2 billion were being ferried from Kenya aboard the vehicle, property of Impala Shuttles of Arusha.
Dar es Salaam. Police at the Tanzania-Kenya border at Namanga seized on Thursday 25kg of heroin that was being smuggled into the country using a tourist shuttle minibus.
What is believed to be high-grade heroin and 18kg of khat worth over Sh2 billion were being ferried from Kenya aboard the vehicle, property of Impala Shuttles of Arusha.
The police are already holding the minibus driver, Mr Munisi Aminadabo, who was returning to Arusha from Nairobi where he had just dropped tourists.
Together with other security agencies at the border, the police suspected the van and subjected it to a secondary inspection, during which they found two plastic bags of 25kg stuffed with the drugs.
“We are in the very early stages of investigation but our preliminary inquiries suggest the haul was to be delivered to a businessman in Arusha,” said our source who requested anonymity.
This is the biggest seizure of heroin in the country in recent months.
The Arusha police boss said he couldn’t give details on the matter, but acting Regional Police Commander Yusuf Ilembo confirmed the arrest, they were still holding Mr Aminadabo for questioning.
Before laboratory test confirmed that the drugs were indeed heroin, the driver of the van had told the police that the flour-like substance were being taken to hospital in Arusha for POP plaster use.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has already sent a team to Arusha to help with the investigations and ensure safe custody of the drugs and other exhibits seized with the suspect. Sources say the police in Arusha have agreed that the suspects be transported to Dar es Salaam and be questioned by the DCEA.
“The suspects are likely to be questioned at DCEA in Dar es Salaam as we try to establish ownership of the consignment,” said DCEA official.
The seizure of the drugs has given credence to widespread claims that some tourist vans are used to facilitate cross-border drug business, particularly between Tanzania and Kenya.
Two years ago, police in Arusha seized a tourist vehicle belonging to Wengert Windrose Safaris (T) Limited carrying 11 bags of marijuana.
The Toyota Land Cruiser driven by Frank Faustine was seized at Ranchi area in Longido District with the marijuana that was destined for Kenya.
The Police were suspicious of the car which was known to regularly pass through the police roadblock with tourists but after a search discovered their was not carried any tourist but a huge quantity of marijuana.
Wangert Safaris manager, Ms Aurelia Mtuy, was quick to distance her company from any link with the illicit herbs that were seized.
Investigators say a syndicate of drug dealers has resorted to using vehicles belonging to tourist companies, government institutions and even prominent individuals to transport drugs.
This comes just a week after The Citizen reported that the Drugs Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) had seized over five tonnes of highly restricted chemicals that can be used in the production of heroin and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
DCEA officers, in collaboration with the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and the office of the Government Chemist Laboratory Agency (GCLA), seized the dangerous chemicals at godowns at Mwenge in Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo (a backyard storage) and Moshi two weeks ago. It is the biggest seizure of such chemicals in Tanzania.
Authorities are still assessing the actual value of the precursor but sources at the anti-drugs commission say they could run into billions.
DCEA Commissioner General Rogers Sianga confirmed the seizure, saying a task force was working to establish legitimacy of importation of the chemicals whose supply and use is locally and internationally highly controlled.
The Citizen has learnt that the owner of the consignment, Dar es Salaam businessman Benedict Assey, was arrested and questioned over the haul. He was released on police bail.
Source: The Citizen
