Dar es Salaam – Two Chinese nationals have been charged with economic sabotage and laundering more than Sh2 billion after their arrest in connection with a sophisticated international crime network.
The accused, Weisi Wang, 41, and Yao Licong, appeared before the Kisutu Resident Magistrate’s Court in Dar es Salaam on January 7, 2026, facing charges of leading an organised criminal gang and money laundering.
The arrests followed a seven-month covert operation involving Tanzania’s Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB), the Bank of Tanzania (BoT), and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA). The investigation targeted a sprawling criminal enterprise engaged in financial crimes across the country.
Prosecutors told the court that between December 2024 and December 2025, the accused orchestrated a criminal gang involved in forgery, theft of ATM card data, tax evasion, and fraud across several regions, including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, and Zanzibar.
The second charge involves the laundering of approximately US$707,075 and Sh281 million, funds the prosecution claims are the proceeds of their criminal activities.
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The suspects were apprehended on January 5, 2026, in the affluent Oysterbay neighbourhood of Dar es Salaam. Authorities discovered the large sums of cash, totalling over Sh2 billion, packed in canvas bags inside their vehicle.
According to the PCCB, the men were unable to provide a legitimate source for the funds, lacking any registered business or official currency exchange documentation.
The PCCB has described the operation as a major breakthrough in its fight against transnational organised crime. The bureau revealed that the broader investigation has led to the arrest of more than 137 individuals and uncovered a network responsible for laundering over Sh18 billion since 2022.
The criminal syndicate allegedly specialised in using stolen international bank card details to siphon funds, which were then laundered through fraudulent transactions disguised as payments for services in Tanzania.
During the court hearing, Principal Resident Magistrate Beda Nyaki informed the accused that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the economic sabotage case, and therefore, they were not required to enter a plea.
The money laundering charge is non-bailable, and the suspects have been remanded in custody. The case is scheduled for another mention on January 21, 2026, and will eventually be transferred to the High Court’s Economic and Corruption Offences Division for trial.
