By Our Correspondent
MOROGORO, Tanzania — Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has destroyed 603 acres of cannabis farms and seized 49 sacks of dried cannabis in a special operation in Mvomero district, Morogoro Region, arresting 13 suspects linked to the cultivation.
The operation, conducted in the villages of Misengele, Lugenge, Kisaki and Nyarutanga, also uncovered and destroyed 21 camps used by cannabis farmers, DCEA said.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said the operation was part of the government’s ongoing efforts to curb the production of illicit drugs, particularly cannabis, in areas where cultivation remains prevalent.
Lyimo said authorities had identified a shift in cultivation methods, with some farmers moving their operations deeper into protected areas to evade law enforcement.
“We have established that some farmers have moved their activities deeper into protected areas to evade legal action,” Lyimo said, warning that the practice was contributing to environmental damage through uncontrolled tree cutting, encroachment on water sources and disruption of ecosystems.
According to Lyimo, DCEA’s assessment of operations conducted since 2023 shows that although large cannabis farms have been identified and destroyed in Morogoro Region, some growers have continued relocating their operations and hiding deeper inside protected areas.
He said the trend required closer cooperation between DCEA, security agencies, authorities responsible for protected areas and local communities to prevent such areas from being used for illicit drug production.
Lyimo urged managers of protected areas to ensure that the areas under their supervision were not used for cannabis cultivation, stressing that tackling illicit drug production required coordinated action by government institutions and communities.
DCEA said it would continue conducting joint operations across the country in cooperation with security agencies, conservation authorities and local communities to curb the cultivation and illegal trade of cannabis.
The authority will also continue educating communities about the dangers of illicit drugs and encouraging people to report individuals involved in the production, transportation and illegal trade of narcotics.
