TANZANIA: DRUG TRAFFICKERS HATCH NEW TRANSPORT TRICKS

 Head of Anti-Drug Unit, Mr Godfrey Nzowa

DESPITE the successes recorded in the fight against illicit narcotic drugs, the country's Anti-Drug Unit is facing the challenge of coping with new sophisticated tactics employed by hardboiled drug traffickers.

Changing routes, concealments, packing materials, porous borders and trafficking cocaine in liquid form are some of the new strategies that drug dealers are using to survive in their dirty business, according to the head of Anti-Drug Unit, Mr Godfrey Nzowa.

Mr Nzowa told the 'Daily News' in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam that due to tightened security at the country's international airports, the drug barons are devising new ways of getting the drugs into the country.

"These people (drug dealers) have a lot of money that they can throw around, they are ruthless, lethal, very disciplined, have sophisticated communication system and are always in contact with each other to monitor the movement of the drugs," he explained.

The drug barons, according Mr Nzowa, use sophisticated equipment, including communication and weapons, now use water territories, packing the drugs in women handbags and shoes instead of the usual method of swallowing the drugs in pallets.

Mr Nzowa notes that the public trust that the drug Unit has built within the country and Internationally, has helped the Unit apprehend massive drug hauls through sea and land borders, through tip-off information.

"This is one of the important components in fighting illicit drugs... building public trust and ensuring officers do not accept bribes.

This has been fruitful, we get tip-offs from people outside the country that have helped apprehend big hauls of illicit drugs such as heroin and cocaine," he explained.

He revealed that early this week, he received a tip-off from an international informant of a drug trafficker named Ali Sleyum Rashid hauling about 14 kilograms of heroin from Brazil to Tanzania. "I am happy to say that the tip-off paid, we apprehended the culprit in Zanzibar.

Note that they are not using the Julius Nyerere International Airport thinking they can get away passing through Zanzibar," Mr Nzowa explained. He added that a sample of the drugs has been taken to the government chemist for testing to ascertain what type of drug but he believes it to be heroine.

"If we do not have such kind of confidence and trust among the public both local and international, it would be difficult to get such tip-offs, because those using the water territories do not dock at harbours but at any shore area," he added.

Mr Nzowa added that the culprit had travelled to Brazil on the pretext of going to watch the World Cup football games, but what was even more surprising is returning back when the games were at their climax.

He said early this year the Unit seized 200.5 kilograms of heroin and arrested eight Iranians and four Pakistanis in connection with the haul. Since one drug addict uses 0.11gram, the 200.5 kilograms of heroin that was seized saved more than 1.8 million people from using the drugs.

"And that is just one haul, we have been seizing huge consignments of illicit drugs, mostly heroin and cocaine along water territories as far as Lindi," he explained.

Mr Nzowa said his Unit is liaising with other countries to ensure tight security at land borders which are porous such as Tanzania/Malawi border of Kasumulu, Tanzania/ Zambia, Tunduma and Manyofu.

"We have already contacted our counterparts bordering with us on all sides to be extra careful at borders because of the new tactics employed by the drug traffickers," he explained.

During the launch of the 2014 World Drug Report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), drug use prevalence is stable around the world with 243 million individuals or 5 per cent of the World's population aged between 15 to 64 years having used an illicit drug in 2012.

The Report launched in Vienna, during the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, UNODC Executive Director Mr Yury Fedotov, said sustainable success in drug control requires firm international commitment.

Mr Fedotov added that a balanced and comprehensive approach addressing both supply and demand should be backed up by evidence based response focusing on prevention, treatment, social rehabilitation and integration.