By Alfred Zacharia
Tanzanian authorities have intercepted a large shipment of Mitragyna speciosa, a new psychoactive substance, weighing 18,485.6 kilograms (18.5 tons), disguised as fertilizer.
The seizure underscores the growing sophistication of drug trafficking networks attempting to exploit loopholes in import controls.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) confirmed that seven suspects were arrested, including two Sri Lankan nationals, Jagath Prasanna Madduma Wellalage, 46, and Santhush Ruminda Hewage, 25.
Five Tanzanians—Riziki Abdallah Shawej, 40; Andrew Athanas Nyembe, 34; Mariam Shaban Mgatila, 40; Ramadhan Sanze Said, 57; and Godwin Melchory Maffeikiri, 40—were also detained.
The drugs were contained in a 40-foot container from Sri Lanka, highlighting the transnational nature of the threat.
This is the second major seizure of Mitragyna speciosa in Tanzania this year.
In June, authorities confiscated 450 bags weighing more than 11.5 tons, also imported from Sri Lanka.
Together, the seizures total over 30 tons, signaling that traffickers are increasingly targeting Tanzania as a transit and consumer market for new psychoactive substances.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo described Mitragyna speciosa as a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) with opioid-like effects.
“The drug impacts the nervous system, can cause addiction, and may result in sudden death,” he said.
The substance is banned in many countries due to its severe health risks, reflecting global concern over emerging drugs that evade conventional legal frameworks.
The seizures expose new challenges in Tanzania’s ongoing war on drugs.
Authorities plan to intensify monitoring and enforcement to disrupt trafficking and prevent domestic consumption.
Commissioner General Lyimo emphasized the broader consequences of drug use, including health, social, and economic impacts, and stressed that controlling drug abuse is critical to achieving the objectives of Tanzania’s National Vision 2050.
The authorities’ actions also point to the importance of international cooperation in combating the growing trade in new psychoactive substances, as traffickers continue to exploit gaps in cross-border regulation.