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Tanzanian police seize 40 kg of heroin, arrest two foreigners

Xinhua, February 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Tanzanian police said on Sunday they have seized 40 kg of heroin in the southern part of the east African nation and arrested two foreigners in connection with the haul.

Renatha Mzinga, Lindi regional police commander, said the suspects were a Ugandan named Tukure Ali and his Guinean accomplice called Sano Ali.

"Police seized the heroin and arrested the two suspects at 11: 50 a.m. Saturday at a checkpoint at Nangurukuru in Kilwa district, " she said.

The regional police boss said the suspects ferried the contraband in a motor vehicle with a Mozambican registered number.

"They were in transit from Mozambique. The heroin was packed in packets of one kilogram each," Mzinga said, adding that police have not yet established the value of the heroin.

In February 2014 Tanzanian anti-narcotics authorities intercepted an Iranian vessel carrying 201 kg of heroin worth about 5 million U.S. dollars and arrested eight Iranians and four Pakistanis in connection with the haul.

In his 2015 New Year message, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said a total of 935 drug traffickers, including their kingpins, were arrested in 2014 and 400 kg of heroin, 45 kg of cocaine and 81,318 kg of bhang were seized.

He hailed the anti-drugs unit for its sterling job in fighting drug trafficking, adding that that a deterrent law on drug trafficking was in the offing. Endi