Tanzania’s Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) seized 18.5 tonnes of kratom from Sri Lanka, arresting two Sri Lankans and five Tanzanians in a major bust.
Comprehensive Incident Report
On December 10, 2025, DCEA raided a Dar es Salaam storage facility, uncovering 18,485.6 kg of Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) – a psychoactive plant with opioid-like effects-in 756 bags inside a 40-foot container shipped from Sri Lanka, falsely labeled as fertilizer.
This follows a June 2025 seizure of 11.5 tonnes (450 bags) in a similar 20-foot container from Sri Lanka, totaling over 30 tonnes smuggled via Dar es Salaam Port. Both cleared customs with documentation before lab tests exposed the drugs; prior shipments evaded detection for export.
Arrested Suspects
Seven detainees face charges for orchestrating the operation:
Sri Lankans: Jagath Prasanna Madduma Wellalage (46, Ahangama resident) and Santhush Ruminda Hewage (25, Ahangama resident) – both confirmed Sri Lankan nationals per cross-verified reports.
Tanzanians: Riziki Abdallah Shawej (40), Andrew Athanas Nyembe (34), Mariam Shaban Mgatila (40), Ramadhan Sanze Said (57), Godwin Melchory Maffeikiri (40).
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo detailed their roles in a Dar es Salaam briefing, noting repackaging for local and international sale. No bail updates; they remain in custody.
Drug and Regional Impact
Kratom, Southeast Asia-sourced, risks addiction, nervous system damage, and death-banned in many countries as a “new challenge” to Tanzania’s anti-NPS efforts.
For Sri Lanka and South Asia, this exposes evolving trafficking routes beyond heroin/ice, using fertilizer guise for Africa transit. No official Colombo response yet.
