Dar es Salaam. The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has arrested four people accused of making cannabis biscuits during a house party in the city.
The suspects, all aged 26 and reported to be university students, were found celebrating a friend’s birthday at a house in Mlalakuwa, where the biscuits were allegedly being prepared.
This is not the first time such products have been seized in incidents involving students, a trend that authorities say signals a growing risk among young people.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said the suspects were found with 140 cannabis biscuits, eight rolls of marijuana, and nine packets of cannabis weighing a total of 2.858 kilogrammes.
“This shows how our young people are putting their lives in danger by engaging in the production of drug-laced products for leisure,” Mr Lyimo said.
He urged university students to stay away from drug abuse and focus on their studies to achieve their dreams.
“Our youth are the country’s workforce. We want them to live healthy lives and avoid being misled into using drugs for entertainment. The authority will not hesitate to take firm action against anyone involved in such offences,” he warned.
In a separate operation, DCEA seized a total of 10,763.94 kilogrammes of various narcotic drugs, 6,007 kilogrammes and 153 litres of precursor chemicals during nationwide operations conducted between September and October 2025.
At Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, the authority intercepted 40.32 kilogrammes of dried khat disguised as spices and packed in 80 packets labelled “Dry Basil Leaves.” The consignment was being shipped to Canada and Italy through courier companies.
Two suspects were arrested, and initial investigations revealed that the drugs had been smuggled into Tanzania from a neighbouring country.
“Our investigation has uncovered a khat trafficking network using motorcycle riders and some courier agents to move drugs discreetly. This network risks damaging the country’s international image, and we will not tolerate it,” said Mr Lyimo.
He added that the authority is also investigating the use of cannabis in consumer products such as beverages, food, cosmetics, and electronic cigarettes (vapes), some of which have been found to contain cannabis compounds.
Mr Lyimo said joint operations between DCEA and other security agencies across the regions led to the seizure of 9,164.92 kilogrammes of cannabis, 1,555.46 kilogrammes of khat, 367 grammes of skunk, and 7.498 grammes of heroin, as well as the destruction of 11.5 acres of cannabis farms.
He also warned motorcycle riders, transport company owners, and courier agents to be cautious with the goods they handle to avoid falling into legal trouble.
Register to begin your journey to our premium contentSubscribe for full access to premium content
