The government has uncovered an illegal mineral trading operation in Dar es Salaam, with 14 suspects arrested over alleged involvement in the smuggling of minerals outside the country’s formal trading system.
Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde said the discovery was part of intensified efforts to strengthen oversight of the mining sector and ensure the government collects the revenue due from mineral transactions conducted through authorised markets.
Speaking to journalists in Dar es Salaam on August 9, 2026, Mr Mavunde said the suspects had turned a rented residential house into an illegal mineral trading centre, bypassing the formal mineral markets and buying centres established across the country.
“They have chosen to rent a house and turn it into a mineral market, which is against the law,” Mr Mavunde said.
He said the suspects would be taken before the relevant legal authorities after investigations were completed.
The minister also warned property owners against allowing their premises to be used for illegal activities, saying landlords should understand the nature of businesses conducted by their tenants.
The government, he added, would conduct special inspections in selected areas of Dar es Salaam and other regions to identify residential properties being used as illegal mineral trading centres.
The inspections are expected to widen the investigation beyond the 14 suspects already arrested and establish whether similar operations are being conducted elsewhere.
Mr Mavunde said preliminary information had also linked a foreign national to the illegal movement of minerals outside the formal system. The individual has been placed under government control as investigations continue.
He directed law enforcement agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation aimed at identifying and arresting all individuals involved in the mineral smuggling chain.
The authorities seized 174 grammes of minerals during the operation, alongside two NITON DXL 800 XRF machines, weighing scales, gas cylinders, gold-melting pots, borax, gas pipes and moulds used in shaping gold.
Cash amounting to Sh54.705 million was also seized.
The seized minerals, cash and equipment are being held by the government as investigations continue.
The discovery highlights the challenges authorities face in ensuring that mineral transactions are conducted through formal channels, where production, trading and export activities can be monitored and government revenues collected.
Mr Mavunde said the government would continue strengthening inspections and enforcement measures to prevent illegal mineral trading and smuggling.
