NARCOTICS TRAFFICKER DRAGGED IN DAR COURT

The case was set for mention January 29 and the accused was driven back to remand prison.PHOTO|FILE 

Posted  Thursday, January 16   2014 at  00:00

Dar es Salaam. A woman Salama Omary Mzala, 39, yesterday in the Kisutu Resident Magistrates’ Court to answer charges of trafficking drugs, worth Sh39.3 million.
Ms Mzala, residing in Mbagala, Dar es Salaam, was arrested in January 6 this year at Julius Kambarage Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) about to fly out with a substantial amount of Cocaine in her stomach.

The accused was before resident magistrate Augustina Mbando where she was not allowed to enter any plea because the Court has no jurisdiction to hear the case which will be tried by the High Court.

Prosecution led by Inspector of Police Hamis Said, the accused was arrested trafficking from Tanzania grams 875.46 of Cocaine Hydrochloride worth Sh39,395,700.

According to prosecution, the accused committed the offence contrary to section 10(b)of drugs and prevention of illicit trafficking in drugs Act, Cap number 95Recived Edition 2002.

The case was set for mention January 29 and the accused was driven back to remand prison.

According to the head of the Police Anti-Drugs Unit, Mr Godfrey Nzowa, the woman, who had a Tanzanian passport, was about to board a flight to Macau, China, when she aroused the suspicion of anti-drugs personnel.

Mr Nzowa said she was plucked out of the queue and subjected to extensive checks, which established that she had a “massive” amount of a narcotic substance in her stomach.

Transport minister Harrison Mwakyembe made a surprise visit to JNIA following the arrest, and said measures being taken to curb drug smuggling through Tanzania’s biggest and busiest airport were bearing fruit.

Dr Mwakyembe told journalists that arrests made at JNIA in recent months showed that efforts to stop traffickers from using the airport as a conduit for drugs were bearing fruit.

“This latest arrest is testimony to improved law enforcement at the airport. Screening should be tightened further at all our airports. We want 2014 be a better year as far as the image of our country is concerned,” he said.

The minister added that between October and December last year, five people were arrested at JNIA for attempting to smuggle drugs through the airport.

Thirteen others were taken into custody during the same period on suspicion of attempting to smuggle out gemstones and other minerals, he said.

Two women were arrested at JNIA last month with 187 pellets of heroin in their stomachs. It was estimated that the haul had a street value of Sh135 million.
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