Our reporter, Dodoma
The Tanzanian government said on Friday it had intensified its crackdown on narcotics trafficking and abuse in 2025, seizing more than 1,000 tonnes of cannabis, hundreds of kilograms of synthetic drugs and confiscating assets worth more than TZS 3.3 billion linked to drug-related crimes.
Presenting the country’s annual drug situation report in parliament in Dodoma on May 29, 2026, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi, said the government had recorded significant progress in combating illicit drugs through coordinated operations involving the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA), security agencies and international partners.
The report was presented in line with Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Act of 2015, which requires the government to submit an annual assessment of the country’s narcotics situation and enforcement measures.
According to the report, cannabis remained the most commonly seized narcotic in 2025, with authorities confiscating 1,017.26 tonnes.
However, the figure represented a 55.97% decline compared with 2024, which the government attributed to the destruction of large-scale cannabis farms and increased public awareness campaigns targeting communities involved in cultivation.
Authorities also seized 26.36 tonnes of khat, locally known as mirungi, marking a 42.88% increase from the previous year. The government said the rise reflected strengthened surveillance and enforcement operations, particularly along border areas and trafficking routes.
Among synthetic and industrial narcotics, Tanzania seized 907.18 kilograms of methamphetamine, 672.23 kilograms of heroin, 4.89 kilograms of cocaine, 178 grams of MDMA, and 7.82 grams of MDA.
For the first time, authorities also intercepted 29.52 tonnes of Kratom, a psychoactive substance derived from the Mitragyna speciosa plant. DCEA said the shipment had entered the country disguised as fertilizer before laboratory analysis identified it as a narcotic substance.
The government said the seizures were the result of intensified intelligence-led operations and tighter controls across land borders, airports and maritime routes.
Authorities further strengthened inspections at customs points, transport hubs, courier services and chemical trading companies to curb the diversion of precursor chemicals and controlled pharmaceutical substances.
Through those operations, officials confiscated 31.76 tonnes and 183,500 litres of precursor chemicals, alongside small quantities of controlled medicinal narcotics.
The report showed that 1,124 drug-related cases were filed in Tanzanian courts in 2025. In addition to ongoing cases, courts delivered rulings in 1,373 cases, with prosecutors securing convictions in 1,058 of them.
Assets worth more than TZS 3.3 billion connected to narcotics offences were also forfeited to the state.
Alongside enforcement measures, the government said it continued expanding rehabilitation and treatment services for drug users. A total of 85,425 people received treatment through mental health units at referral hospitals, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) clinics and rehabilitation centres across the country in 2025.
Kabudi said public awareness campaigns conducted through schools, communities and media outlets remained central to the country’s anti-drug strategy, alongside regional and international cooperation in intelligence sharing and joint operations against trafficking networks.
He credited the progress to the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, saying the government had invested heavily in strengthening anti-narcotics institutions and enforcement capacity.
The minister also urged citizens to continue reporting suspected drug trafficking and abuse activities to authorities as part of broader efforts to safeguard public safety.
