Tanzania police seize 60 bags of marijuana en route to Kenya

Police in Tanzania's lake zone district of Tarime have managed to seize 60 bags of marijuana en-route to neighboring Kenya, through Sirari border, officials said Wednesday.

Glorious Luoga, Tarime District Commissioner, said three people including two Kenyan nationals have been arrested in connection with the consignment of marijuana, which was loaded in Lorries.

"Other suspects managed to escape from the police hands, but I am sure they will be arrested," the official said.

He said that recently, police managed to destroy 59 acres of marijuana farms in the district which is close to Kenyan border, whereby 66 people have been arrested.

"But police are still looking for farmers who owned those farms...the operation against marijuana farming, smoking and transporting is ongoing in this area. Our aim is to ensure that Tarime and Mara Region in general is free from marijuana."

"This illicit drug is not allowed in Tanzania. It has ruined future lives of many resourceful young Tanzanians."

He suggested the need for local government's leaders to chip-in the campaign against marijuana farming in their localities.

Sweetbert Njewike, Regional Police Commander for Tarime Special Police Zone said that the suspects were arrested with police who were in regular patrol on May 24, this year.

According to the RPC, bags of marijuana were loaded in the Lorries when mixed with bags of maize.

"We are interrogating all the suspects so that we know their network."

Tarime is rated as one of the notorious bhang growing zones in the Lake Zone region of Mara and the country at large.

Marijuana is now considered as a cash crop from which one can make good money and majority of farmers living in various villages of one of the most fertile districts in the lake zone of Mara have been making a lot of money. Endit