ZANZIBAR’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (ZDCEA) has seized about 800 kilogrammes of illegal drugs, in its recent series of operations.

Colonel Nassoro Burhani, the ZDCEA commissioner, briefed journalists on the exercise here yesterday, affirming that in collaboration with other security agencies, law enforcers carried out searches across multiple locations.

The operations saw law enforcers confiscate various types of narcotics, citing marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and drug-laced shisha, he stated.

The total weight of the drugs seized amounted to 798.893 kilogrammes, the largest drug haul ever recorded in Zanzibar, he said, highlighting the scale of the danger posed by the confiscated drugs.

If the drugs had reached the streets, they could have been processed into 27m doses, thus, with a total population of 1.8m

“…this amounts to an average of 14 doses per person,” he stated.

Six motor vehicles were seized as well as one boat, and nine individuals arrested, just one being a foreign national, he said, elaborating that several of the suspects have already been brought before the courts, while others are under investigation.

Details of the series of operations, conducted in phases across two months shed light on the scope of the problem, as in the first operation, on October 17, investigators targeted the Malindi dhow harbour where two suspects were arrested, with 734.95 grams of marijuana.

Another operation on November 5 occurred at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, where 263 kilograms of drug-laced shisha, smuggled from China, were intercepted, he said.

Laboratory tests showed that the shisha contained harmful chemicals that can cause severe health problems like hallucinations, heart disease and mental instability.

Within November, operations at Kilimani Chini and Mtendeni areas led to the seizure of cocaine, and authorities also broke record for methamphetamine seizures on November 15 at Kisauni, he said.

The law enforcers confiscated 536 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and one kilogramme of heroin, he said, pointing out that drugs like methamphetamine, which is often manufactured in illegal laboratories, pose significant dangers to public health.

The use of methamphetamine could lead to memory loss, nervous system damage and emotional instability, he said, affirming that the drug trade, primarily targets youth between the ages of 9 and 45.

It not only threatens individual lives but also jeopardizes the country's security and future economic stability, he stressed, reaffirming government commitment to eradicating drug networks in Zanzibar in the coming year.

Those involved in the drug trade need to know that no one would be exempt from legal action, he said, advising youths to avoid getting involved in trafficking narcotics.

“Drug crimes do not pay; seek legitimate work,” he said, pointing out that vehicles, properties and assets linked to drug activities would be confiscated.

Residential property owners to be vigilant when leasing out their premises to avoid their being used in illicit businesses, he said, urging members of the public to report any suspicious activities that could be drug-related.