By the respondents reporter
Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) said it had intercepted a speedboat carrying a large consignment of khat smuggled by sea from Mombasa, Kenya, in an overnight operation along the Bagamoyo coast.
The operation, carried out in the early hours of April 14 at Magambani beach in the Kaole Ufundi area of the Coast Region, led to the seizure of 18 sacks containing 1,062 packets of khat, locally known as mirungi. Four suspects were arrested.
Speaking to reporters in Bagamoyo, DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo identified the suspects as Jamal Ally Faki, 35, and Shari Omary Salim, 28, both residents of Tanga; Sebastian Protas Shirima, 28, from Temeke; and James Michael Kimaro, 27, from Buza in Dar es Salaam.
Lyimo said the speedboat had been under surveillance for an extended period and had allegedly been used repeatedly to ferry khat from Mombasa into Tanzania through maritime routes.
“This boat has been used for a long time to transport khat by sea from Mombasa to Dar es Salaam, and we have been tracking it closely,” Lyimo said. “Recent data showed khat seizures had surpassed other narcotics, and this vessel was a major conduit. Its seizure significantly weakens the trafficking network.”
He said traffickers were increasingly shifting tactics following intensified crackdowns on more dangerous narcotics such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis, as well as the destruction of khat consignments in Same District, prompting criminal networks to rely more heavily on cross-border shipments from Kenya.
The commissioner said the authority would continue sustained nationwide operations targeting the cultivation, distribution and trafficking of narcotics, including the destruction of cannabis farms and the monitoring of emerging smuggling routes.
“The government remains fully committed to stopping the inflow of illicit drugs into the country, and stern action will be taken against anyone involved in this trade,” he said.
Local leaders welcomed the operation, describing it as a strong signal of the government’s commitment to public safety.
Dominic Masika, a local community leader in Kaole Ufundi, urged authorities to maintain regular patrols, particularly in bushy coastal areas that could be exploited as transit points for narcotics.
“This incident here in Kaole, Magambani demonstrates the government’s genuine resolve to protect citizens,” Masika said. “I urge continued operations, routine patrols and greater investment in monitoring vulnerable areas like these.”
He added that some young people were being drawn into the illegal trade due to limited awareness, underscoring the need for stronger cooperation between parents, local leaders and government authorities to combat drug abuse and trafficking.
