AfricaPress-Tanzania: IN a bid to combat illicit drug trafficking, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Simon Sirro on Thursday tasked six Regional Police Commanders (RPCs) to carry out a joint operation to ensure all culprits are arrested.
The RPC tasked the Mtwara, Lindi, Tanga, Dar es Salaam, Pemba and Unguja RPCs to conduct the operation that will weed out drug barons and peddlers.
“Illicit drugs are still a problem in our nation, we can end the menace, that is why I want you to work together,” he said in Zanzibar.
In 2017, the government established Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) under the Prime Minister’s Office for prevention and control of drug trafficking and to repeal the Drugs and Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Drugs Act.
Since its establishment, DCEA did not only arrest small drug distributors and users but also drug barons and Kingpins. Over the past five years, a total of 97.99 tonnes of cannabis sativa, commonly known as bhang, 85.84 tonnes of khat, 567.96 kilogrammes of heroin and 23.383 kilogrammes of cocaine have been seized, and over 37,104 suspects have been arrested IGP Sirro further said for the past three months of 2021 all other offences have reduced but abuse and illicit drugs have increased.
“For three months’ crime rate has decreased by 19.1 per cent and road safety offences have decreased by 14 per cent, but abuse and illicit drug is still a problem. We must understand that police alone cannot solve this problem as it is a matter of moral erosion,” he said
He added, “We call on religious leaders to help us curb the problem, also basic education should be provided for people to change their mindset.” According to a report released by the Police Force early this year, the number of crimes reported in the country fell by 15.5 per cent in 2020.
The figures indicated a sharp year-on-year drop in the overall crime rate from 58,590 cases reported between January and December 2019 to 50,689 cases in 2020. Meanwhile, more than 18,000 residents of Dar es Salaam have reported to the One-Stop Centre Mobile for help in the face of sexual violence against men.
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Lazaro Mambosasa made the remarks recently while ending up the second phase of mobile-phone services for victims of sexual violence in nine wards of Ilala Police Region as a continuation of International Women’s Day celebrations on March 8.
“In this second phase, we have reached 11,709 people, 5,312 men and 6,397 women in 16 wards, compared to the first phase of December 2020, when we reached 7,200 people, with 3,251 men and 3,949 women who showed up for service and we followed them up in their streets,” said Commander Mambosasa.
Statistics show that in all phases, 8,563 men, equivalent to 45.28 per cent showed up at the centres while others claimed to have been subjected to sexual violence by their wives. Also, 10,346 women, equivalent to 54.72 per cent reported the same. Mr Mambosasa urged men who are victims of sexual violence in their families to report to the police so that legal measures could be taken.
He commended the Fredrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom East Africa for partnering with the police to facilitate mobile services and pledged to continue to support the success of such services to end sexual harassment and violence in its area.
