DAR ES SALAAM: FAMILIES hiring minibuses to transport mourners or ferry the deceased to their ancestral homes have been put on alert, amid a warning that passenger vehicles are increasingly being used as a conduit for drug trafficking.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has urged families to be vigilant when hiring vehicles, warning that unsuspecting passengers and vehicle owners could become entangled in illegal drug transportation.
The warning means families arranging transport during the difficult period following the death of a loved one could unknowingly hire vehicles carrying illegal drugs alongside passengers and their belongings.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo told a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the increasing use of passenger vehicles in drug trafficking was a serious concern, with traffickers exploiting ordinary transport services to move narcotics between regions.
He urged owners and operators of minibuses, buses and private vehicles to strengthen controls over luggage and other cargo carried in their vehicles, warning that vehicles found being used to transport drugs could be seized.
“This could leave innocent vehicle owners facing financial losses, particularly where they have failed to properly supervise how their vehicles are being used,” he said.
Mr Lyimo also urged members of the public to remain vigilant when hiring vehicles, particularly for funerals and other social activities, and to establish clear arrangements with operators regarding luggage and other cargo.
The warning comes as DCEA intensifies its crackdown on drug trafficking, with the authority seizing 18,078.41 kilogrammes of narcotics during operations conducted in 14 regions between July and September this year.
The operations covered Dar es Salaam, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Morogoro, Tabora, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Mara, Dodoma, Mbeya, Lindi, Mtwara and Ruvuma.
Of the total seized, 11,504.76 kilogrammes were marijuana, 6,529.5 kilogrammes khat, 44.45 kilogrammes skunk-type marijuana and 41.25 grammes heroin.
The operations resulted in the arrest of 289 suspects, of whom 169 have been taken to court, while legal proceedings against the others are continuing.
DCEA also seized eight vehicles, one bajaji and 40 motorcycles allegedly linked to drug trafficking.
Marijuana accounted for a large proportion of the seizures, particularly in Morogoro and Tabora. In Morogoro, authorities seized 6,299.24 kilogrammes of marijuana and 226 kilogrammes of marijuana seeds, while Tabora recorded 4,650.86 kilogrammes of marijuana and 203 kilogrammes of seeds.
Khat trafficking was particularly prominent in Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Dodoma, where a combined 6,412.89 kilogrammes were seized.
In one incident, three suspects were arrested after allegedly transporting 238 bundles of khat weighing 125.33 kilogrammes aboard a RATCO passenger bus, registration number T.443 EMG, operating between Tanga and Dar es Salaam.
In another case, five suspects were arrested after 21.95 kilogrammes of marijuana were seized from a TATA vehicle, registration number T.381 DWU, operating between Uyui in Tabora and Kahama.
Mr Lyimo said the incidents demonstrated the need for transport operators to know what is being carried in their vehicles and to strengthen supervision of drivers, conductors and cargo.
He also called on passengers and members of the public to report suspicious activities and avoid accepting luggage or packages whose contents cannot be verified.
DCEA said it would continue educating vehicle owners, passengers, drivers and conductors about the dangers of drug trafficking and the legal consequences of allowing transport facilities to be used in the illegal trade.