Dar es Salaam – Authorities in Tanzania have seized nearly 10 tonnes of illicit drugs and arrested 151 suspects in a sweeping two-month operation that has highlighted an alarming new trend: the large-scale diversion of potent, hospital-grade opioids.
The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) announced that operations in January and February 2026 also led to the destruction of 87.5 acres of cannabis farms and the confiscation of dozens of vehicles used by trafficking syndicates.
The most significant bust occurred at the Mutukula border post, a key crossing between Tanzania and Uganda.
In a joint operation with customs officials, DCEA officers intercepted a passenger bus bound for the Democratic Republic of Congo carrying a massive consignment of controlled medical narcotics.
According to a statement from the DCEA, the seizure included 1,045 bottles of Pethidine, 310 bottles of Morphine Sulphate, and 440 bottles of Fentanyl.
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These substances, all-powerful opioids legally used in hospitals to manage severe pain, were found concealed on a bus operated by SR Classic, which travels between Uganda, Tanzania, and the DRC.
Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the trafficking attempt, including Tanzanians and a Tanzanian national residing in Uganda.
Under Tanzanian law, the Medical Stores Department (MSD) is the sole entity authorised to import and distribute such narcotic medicines, underscoring the illegality of this large-scale diversion.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo stated that the operations demonstrate the government’s unwavering commitment to reducing the availability of illicit drugs and ensuring that controlled medical substances are not siphoned into the black market.
“These operations show the government’s determination to reduce the availability of drugs, protect public health, and ensure that prescription drugs with narcotic properties reach only the patients they are legally intended for,” Lyimo said.
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The crackdown also continued to target the widespread trafficking of high-potency cannabis, known locally as ‘skanka.’
In one notable case in Dar es Salaam, officers arrested a suspect transporting over 81 kilogrammes of skanka concealed within a shipment of apples in a South Africa-registered truck.
Further seizures of hundreds of kilogrammes of cannabis were made in Chanika, Dar es Salaam and Mbeya, often from passenger buses.
The methods of traffickers are also becoming more insidious. In a separate operation in Zanzibar in January, authorities uncovered drugs such as cocaine and LSD being laced into commercially branded sweets, chocolates, and biscuits, a tactic clearly aimed at targeting children and young people.
Officials believe this points to the evolving strategies of international trafficking rings operating in the region.
READ MORE: Authorities Seize Over 10 Tonnes of Narcotics in Ongoing Crackdown
Tanzania’s strategic location on the East African coast has long made it a major transit hub for narcotics flowing from Asia and South America to global markets.
The government has pledged to dismantle the networks that exploit its territory, with the DCEA vowing to continue its collaboration with national and international security agencies to combat the pervasive threat of drug trafficking and abuse.
