Arusha. Businessman Taqabbal Mwasha has been acquitted after spending 2,465 days behind bars while facing allegations of trafficking narcotic drugs, specifically khat (miraa), from Ethiopia to the United Kingdom.
The period runs from September 5, 2019, when he was arrested by officers of the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) in Dar es Salaam, to June 5, 2026, when the High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division cleared him of all charges.
Mr Mwasha, a resident of Sakina, Arusha, was arrested at the Tanzania Posts Corporation parcel section in Ilala District, Dar es Salaam, accused of trafficking 214.85 kilogrammes of narcotics (miraa) allegedly destined for the UK.
He consistently denied the allegations throughout the investigation, trial, and up to his acquittal.
On June 5, 2026, Justice Sedekia Kisanya ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt and ordered his release.
In the judgment published on the Judiciary website on Saturday, June 6, 2026, the judge said the evidence presented was insufficient to sustain a conviction.
“Having considered the evidence from both sides, the Court finds that the prosecution has not discharged the burden of proof required in criminal cases, namely proof beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.
He added that contradictions in witness testimony and gaps in the prosecution case must be resolved in favour of the accused.
“Therefore, the accused, Taqabbal Ayoub Mwasha, is found not guilty of trafficking narcotic drugs as charged,” the court ruled.
The court further ordered his immediate release unless held on other charges, the return of his passport, and destruction of the seized narcotics held by DCEA in accordance with the law.
The prosecution team was led by Senior State Attorney Elizabeth Muhangwa, assisted by State Attorneys Marietha Maguta, Glory Kilawe, Blandina Mnung’a, Erick Davies, and Erick Kamala.
The State called 10 witnesses and tendered 10 exhibits in support of its case, while Mr Mwasha was initially represented by advocate Benjamin Mageni and later by Mohamed Majaliwa.
How he was arrested
Prosecution evidence showed the case began on August 23, 2019, when a Tanzania Posts Corporation intelligence officer flagged three suspicious parcels during scanning at Dar es Salaam offices, one bearing Mr Mwasha’s name.
Scanner images allegedly indicated plant material inside, prompting alerts to supervisors and DCEA officers, who initiated monitoring of the shipments.
On August 29, 2019, officers identified 10 additional boxes from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, addressed to Mr Mwasha in Arusha, again flagged by scanner images suggesting plant material.
A further two boxes were intercepted on August 30, 2019, this time linked to export documentation from Arusha to the United Kingdom, also associated with the accused.
The prosecution alleged that on September 5, 2019, Mr Mwasha visited the Posta offices to inquire about delayed parcels and was subsequently arrested by DCEA officers who were monitoring the operation.
A DCEA officer testified that the accused was apprehended at the premises while attempting to collect the parcels, which were later analysed and confirmed to contain narcotics.
In his defence, Mr Mwasha told the court he went to Posta after being informed of issues concerning his parcels, denying any involvement in drug trafficking.
He insisted he only saw the parcels after his arrest and denied ownership or knowledge of the 13 boxes allegedly linked to him.
He said items seized from him included phones, cash, receipts and documents recorded as exhibit D3.
While acknowledging involvement in forestry product trade and previous exports, he denied any connection to the alleged narcotics shipments to the UK.
The judgment
Justice Kisanya said the central issue was whether the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
He found serious procedural flaws in handling exhibit P3, including failure to follow proper sampling and scientific testing procedures, which undermined the reliability of the evidence.
“These deficiencies go to the root of the reliability of the analysis relied upon by the prosecution,” the judge said.
The court also held that the search leading to the seizure of the exhibits was conducted without a valid search warrant as required under Section 43 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
It further ruled that the prosecution failed to justify bypassing legal procedures on grounds of urgency.
In conclusion, the court found the prosecution had not met the required legal threshold and ordered Mr Mwasha’s immediate acquittal.
