DAR ES SALAAM: IF you are a landlord, it is time to exercise extra caution—drug dealers are now renting houses and transforming them into drug storage facilities, often right under your nose.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) issued a stern warning yesterday after impounding 2.2 tonnes of narcotics within just a week.
“Drug dealers are now renting entire houses, not to live in, but to use as warehouses for storing large consignments of drugs,” said DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo during a press briefing in Dar es Salaam.
He urged landlords to be vigilant when renting out their properties, warning that premises used for illegal drug activities could be seized by the government.
“Under the law, properties implicated in drug trafficking are subject to nationalisation. Landlords and caretakers must not permit their houses or vehicles to be used for such purposes,” he stated.
Commissioner General Lyimo called on landlords to report suspicious tenants to authorities.
He emphasised that combating drug trafficking requires collective effort, with property owners playing a crucial role in identifying and addressing potential illegal activities.
In a surprising revelation, he also noted that some suspects had relied on charms, believing these would protect them from arrest or ensure their illegal activities went unnoticed.
“Those we have apprehended were found with charms and when questioned, they claimed that traditional healers had assured them that these charms would render them invisible to authorities. The government, however, cannot be bewitched; you cannot cast a spell on the government. They are deceiving themselves. The government operates with professionalism and employs a wide range of strategies.
We will not only arrest those involved in this trade but also the healers who support them,” Commissioner General Lyimo emphasised.
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Elaborating on the recent operation, Mr Lyimo said the DCEA seized a total of 2,207.56 kilogrammes of various drugs in the Tanga and Dar es Salaam regions, leading to the arrest of seven suspects.
The confiscated drugs included 1,500.6 kilogrammes of skunk, 687.76 kilogrammes of methamphetamine, 19.2 kilogrammes of heroin and 10 bottles of fentanyl. Skunk refers to strains of cannabis with high levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Methamphetamine is a synthetic stimulant with a high addiction potential, while fentanyl is a highly potent synthetic opioid commonly used as an analgesic.
The operation in Dar es Salaam, conducted on November 14, targeted Kigamboni District and led to the arrest of two suspects: Mohamed Bakar (40) and Sullesh Mhailoh (36), both residents of the Mabibo area.
The suspects were found with 1,350.4 kilogrammes of skunk. “These drugs were hidden in a house rented by Mr Bakar, who had converted the property into a warehouse for storing the drugs,” Mr Lyimo stated, adding that additional narcotics were discovered in a car that was ready for distribution.
On the same date, the operation apprehended another suspect, Iddy Iddy (46), a resident of Chanika. He was caught with 150.2 kilogrammes of skunk in Pweza Sinza E Street, Ubungo District.
The drugs were concealed in a soap box and an iron-made container. In Tanga Region, the operation resulted in the arrest of two suspects, Ally Ally (52) and Fahadi Kassim (36), who were found with 706.96 kilogrammes of heroin and methamphetamine.
