Dar es Salaam – Tanzanian authorities have conducted a series of large-scale operations in recent months, resulting in the seizure of tonnes of narcotics and the arrest of hundreds of suspects, signalling a renewed and intensified commitment to combating the country’s long-standing drug trafficking problem.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has been at the forefront of these efforts, dismantling trafficking networks and confiscating significant quantities of illicit substances.
In a press release on January 8, 2026, the DCEA announced that in December 2025 alone, it had seized over 9,600 kilogrammes of drugs and arrested 66 individuals. This followed a series of major busts in the preceding months.
In an operation between July and September 2025, the DCEA seized over 33 tonnes of narcotics and arrested 940 suspects, and in a subsequent crackdown in September and October 2025, a further 10.7 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals were confiscated.
These operations have exposed the diverse methods employed by traffickers. In one notable case, a King Masai Tours bus was intercepted in Dar es Salaam with 20 kilogrammes of cannabis hidden in a secret compartment.
READ MORE: Authorities Seize Over 10 Tonnes of Narcotics in Ongoing Crackdown
This led the Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) to suspend the company’s entire fleet and summon the owner for questioning. In another incident, authorities at the Kariakoo market in Dar es Salaam intercepted 40.32 kilogrammes of khat disguised as basil leaves, destined for Canada and Italy. The DCEA has also expressed concerns about traffickers potentially using corpses to smuggle drugs.
Tanzania’s geographical location has long made it a significant transit point for illicit drugs, particularly heroin from Southwest Asia and cocaine from South America. The country’s extensive and often unmonitored coastline is exploited by traffickers who use small boats to bring drugs ashore from larger vessels.
The problem is not limited to transit, as Tanzania also faces a growing domestic substance abuse problem, with an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 people who inject drugs.
The government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan has made tackling the drug trade a priority. The DCEA has reiterated its commitment to making Tanzania a drug-free nation, and is working in cooperation with international partners, such as the EU-ACT project, to train staff and enhance their capacity to combat drug-related crime.
The recent crackdowns and seizures demonstrate a determined effort to disrupt the drug trade and bring those responsible to justice.
