Tanga unveils $2.2m boat to boost patrols

Tanga. The regional commissioner for Tanga, Mr Martine Shigela, today launched a new $2. 2 million modern patrol boat with a directive to the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) and security organs in the region to keep the boat busy in the sea to curb smuggling.

“The boat should not continue to be an exhibition... it must help to curb smuggling along Tanga Region’s coastline,” Mr Shigela said after a short sojourn in the boat at sea. He pointed out that security along the Tanga coast bordering Mombasa in Kenya and the Coast Region border had proved a big challenge with smugglers, giving security organs a difficult time.

He said there were smugglers who thought they could attack security vessels, warning that the government had vowed not to tolerate economic saboteurs. He urged businessmen to use legally accepted entry ports to load or unload their cargo and to allow the government to collect its dues for the benefit of the nation. According to Tanga Port Master Percival Slama, the Port acquired the new and modern patrol boat to beef up security along Tanga’s coastal area.

The Boat, he said, would help the port in facing up to the challenge of increasing smuggling cases along the Tanga Coast, which has an estimated 40 illegal ports.

The port, district and regional authorities have previously been concerned about how to deal with increasing smuggling along the coast. Mr Shigela said he was sure the boat would be a great help to efforts to curb entrance of contraband goods along the coast. He said there were 14 big illegal ports and 38 smaller ones.