War against drugs to increase in intensity

• DCEA holds five suspected kingpins

FIVE suspected drug kingpins in the country are under rigorous grilling by the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) to establish their network of narcotic trade.

DCEA Commissioner of Intelligence Fredrick Kibuta said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that since the authority kicked off its operations after the appointment of Commissioner General and two deputy commissioners of Intelligence and Operations, the war against narcotics has intensified, heading to a right direction.

“We are holding five important people in the drugs business ... they are currently being questioned and in the meantime we can not reveal their identities lest we jeopardize the investigations,’’ Mr Kibuta said at the launch of the international Narcotics Control Board Report 2016.

UN Resident Coordinator Alvaro Rodriguez and DCEA Commissioner General Rogers Siyanga also attended the function. The report indicates that one-third of global drug users are women and girls, hinting, however, that only one in five recipients of drug treatments is a female.

There is also an increasing number of women and girls being arrested over drug related crimes, says the report. Mr Rodriguez said the society should get rid of stigmatisation against female drug users and instead support them to access medical and rehabilitation services.

“I congratulate the government of the United Republic of Tanzania for taking major steps in tackling drug trafficking and illicit drug abuse. The efforts have also raised awareness among the Tanzanian community about the dangers of abusing drugs,’’ said the UN Resident Coordinator.

Each year, the International Narcotics Control Board releases the report, analysing the global drug control situation and giving recommendations to help states take effective measures to address related drugs challenges. This year’s main thematic chapter is on ‘Women and Drugs.’

Speaking after launching the report, DCEA Commissioner General said the authority has changed the strategy to cope with the changing world in dealing with illicit drugs in the country through capitalising on supply, demand and harm strategies.

“Our aim is to help drug consumers instead of punishing them and drug abuse should be observed as a disease that requires medical attention ... that is why we need to provide more education on the effects of drug abuse,’’ said Mr Siyanga.

He argued that majority drug users were long truck drivers, commercial sex workers, fishermen and young girls and boys. The war against narcotics in the country gained pace after the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner (RC) Paul Makonda started naming publicly the names of people suspected to be drug dealers and abusers.

Immediately after the appointment of DCEA Commissioner General, the RC handed over to Mr Siyanga a list of suspected drug barons and consumers. Yesterday, Mr Siyanga said despite holding five key people in the illegal business, he was still working on the list.

“We have also realised that majority people in that list are drug addicts and our intention is to help them instead of arresting and condemning them to prison, he insisted.

Meanwhile, DAILY NEWS Reporter reports from Tanga that police in the region have arrested 19 people, including two women, accused of farming marijuana, khat and transporting heroin. The suspects were arrested in different areas during a special swoop in its second week, having so far impounded 39 grams of heroin and 947 kilogrammes of marijuana and Khat, a plant classified as narcotic.

Tanga Regional Police Commander (RPC) Benedict Wakulyamba, briefing reporters on the state of regional security between February 26 through March 5, said criminal incidences over the period have dropped.

“We have in our special operation apprehended criminals with incriminating evidences ... the operations looked at road accidents, murder, illicit drugs, farming of illicit plants, like marijuana and khat,” he said.

The Drugs Control and Enforcement Act 2014 provide for a 20m/- fine or 30-year jail term to anyone caught cultivating khat. The RPC said the 947 kilos of illicit drugs, comprises of 300 kilogrammes of marijuana and 647 kgs of Khat, which is classified as narcotic drug.

“Investigations are underway and at different stages right now before the suspects are arraigned,” he explained.

He named the suspects as Mlifu village chairperson in Lushoto district, Haruna Shabani (56) who had 4,500 Khat plants in the middle of his two-acre farm and Ngomebei Juma (50) a resident of Mafisa in Kilindi district who had 32 marijuana plants in his garden.

Source: Katare Mbashiru Report -Daily News Tanzania.