Dar es Salaam. The Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) has confirmed that every corpse repatriated to Tanzania is now subjected to mandatory screening to determine whether human remains are being exploited to traffic illicit drugs.
DCEA Commissioner General, Mr Aretas Lyimo, said the move follows the discovery of a gruesome tactic in which traffickers hollow out corpses to conceal narcotics.
He said supecialised scanners have been installed at all major airports to facilitate inspections.
Speaking in a recent exclusive interview with The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi at DCEA headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Mr Lyimo explained that traffickers surgically remove internal organs or brain matter to create space for drugs.
“As authorities tightened controls on traditional smuggling methods, such as swallowing drug pellets, cartels turned to exploiting the dead. They incise the abdomen and fill it with narcotics, or open the skull, remove the brain, and pack it with drugs before sealing it with glue in a way that is difficult to detect visually,” he said.
Following the discovery, scanners were deployed at all entry points. Everybody entering the country is screened to ensure cranial and abdominal cavities have not been tampered with.
Mr Lyimo confirmed that the intensified surveillance led to a major seizure in 2024, when a corpse arriving from South Africa was found meticulously packed with narcotics.
“They had removed the entire brain and intestines to fill the cavities. Imagine a family preparing for burial, unaware their loved one’s body is a drug consignment,” he added.
Asset forfeiture and implementation
Turning to the financial crackdown, Mr Lyimo said the government has intensified seizure of assets belonging to drug kingpins, following observations that many convicted traffickers return to the trade using wealth accumulated before imprisonment.
Legislative amendments now allow the State to confiscate assets acquired within 10 years before arrest.
Over the past decade, the DCEA has seized property valued at Sh3.3 billion, including high-value items.
On procedure, Mr Lyimo said the DCEA opens a primary criminal case for trafficking alongside a separate civil case for asset forfeiture.
“All assets acquired by a suspect within 10 years are legally presumed to be proceeds of crime. Once the trafficking case concludes, forfeiture proceedings follow,” he explained.
Where a suspect remains at large, the authority may still freeze or seize property, which is handed over to the Treasury Registrar for management.
“The Registrar decides whether to auction the items to boost government revenue or allocate them for official State use. We cannot use these assets without express Treasury approval,” clarified Mr Lyimo.
Destruction of narcotics
On disposal, the Commissioner General said drugs are destroyed only after a court permit following a conviction. Strict protocols safeguard evidence integrity.
Before destruction, drugs are re-weighed and tested by the Chief Government Chemist to ensure type and quantity match the case file, confirming nothing was substituted during trial.
“Once verified, they are destroyed. Perishables such as khat may be destroyed before sentencing to prevent health hazards,” he said.
Marijuana farms are destroyed on-site. Given the large volumes, magistrates often visit farms to witness the process, after which a formal report is prepared.
Asked whether seized drugs could be diverted for medicinal use, Mr Lyimo was unequivocal: “The government has lawful channels for importing medicinal drugs. Anything seized as illicit is destroyed in full because it entered the country unlawfully.”
Delays in legal proceedings
On concerns about slow drug-related cases, Mr Lyimo attributed delays to the heavy burden of proof required, given severe penalties.
“If you arrest someone with khat, you must obtain forensic confirmation from the Chief Government Chemist. To seize property, you coordinate with the Ministry of Lands, and for vehicles, obtain records from the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA),” he explained.
Each institution conducts independent investigations and submits formal feedback.
“This inter-agency coordination takes time, which is why investigations often appear prolonged. It is necessary to ensure documentation is airtight for the court,” he added.
The rise of ‘Skunk’
Mr Lyimo warned of a global push encouraging African nations to legalise marijuana cultivation under the guise of economic growth.
He noted that countries including Malawi, Eswatini, and South Africa have moved towards legalisation, but the anticipated economic gains have often proved illusory.
He cited a Tanzanian investor who sold property to raise Sh300 million to cultivate marijuana in Malawi after being denied a local permit.
“We rejected the request following an assessment showing social costs outweighed potential tax benefits,” said Mr Lyimo.
The investor later suffered financial ruin, with Malawi reportedly unable to sell even 40 percent of its legal crop, leaving him with major losses.
“He is in distress, unable to repay loans, and suffered a stroke. We even assisted by purchasing a walking frame,” he added.
When promised international buyers failed to appear, surplus crops led to the use of processing technologies to produce ‘skunk’, a highly potent hybrid.
“Natural cannabis contains two to 13 percent THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Skunk contains 40 to 60 percent. Some skunk-infused products, including sweets seized in Mbeya, contained 90 percent THC. That is pure poison,” he warned.
Tanzania does not produce skunk; it is smuggled from neighbouring countries where cultivation is legal. The DCEA remains on high alert to intercept these high-potency drugs at the border.
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