Tanzanian couple sentenced to life for drug trafficking

The High Court in Tanzania's commercial capital of Dar es Salaam has on March 31, 2021 sentenced a couple to life in jail after they were found guilty of drug trafficking.

The couple Shamim Mwasha and Abdul Nsembo all residents of the commercial capital will also lose their Landrover Discovery 4 which has been nationalized by the court.

The sentence was handed by Judge Elinaza Luvanda after listening to the defence and the state, saying that the court had found the defendants guilty on two counts.

The two allegedly committed the crime on May 1, 2019 at their residence in Mbezi Beach, Kinondoni District.

The couple was allegedly found in possession of heroin weighing more than 400 grams at their home in Mbezi Beach, Dar es Salaam.

Speaking to Mwananchi then, DCEA Operations Commissioner, Lieutenant Colonel Fredrick Milanzi said DCEA officers went to the couple’s home after receiving information and conducted a search and found the bag containing the drugs and others were found in the back seat of the car.

"We conducted a search from 2:00 am to 7:00 am and found the drugs hidden and preliminary results from the Chief Government Chemist showed that they were heroin."

"Other items we found with them were five phones, bank cards, passports and various documents," said Lieutenant Colonel Milanzi.