Arusha (Tanzania), Oct 30 (IANS) Tanzanian police Thursday said they have seized 9,102 kg of marijuana in an ongoing crackdown operation in northern part of the country.
The seizure follows an operation carried out in Olkokora village located on the slopes of Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro, Xinhua quoted Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas as saying.
He said the operation involved police officers, officials of the anti-narcotics unit and other security agencies.
The police chief said the 267 bags of marijuana were seized Tuesday and Wednesday, which were hidden in the mountain gorges and some in people’s homes.
“During the operation, police managed to set fire on two acre farm of bhang,” he said, “But, no one has been arrested as most of the people in the area fled their homes after seeing police officers stormed in the village,” the official said.
Tanzania is the second largest marijuana producer in Africa after South Africa and its largest consignment is destined to Kenya’s Nairobi which serves as the distribution point for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan.