Sumbawanga — POLICE in Rukwa Region have arrested six suspects for allegedly smuggling various items including improved maize seeds and sugar from neighbouring Zambia and Malawi.
Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP) Ms Theopista Malya told journalists over the weekend here during a media briefing meeting that out of the six apprehended suspects aged between 25 and 48 years old, two are women.
Updating journalists, the RPC said also 75 cartoons of sugar branded Ilovo were smuggled from neighbouring Malawi, 16 bags of maize seeds marked seed - co sc 647 weighing 160 kilogrammes smuggled from neighbouring Zambia, two bags of maize seeds labelled Panar weighing 20 kilogrammes a motor bicycle with registration number MC 922, CCQ and a bicycle used to ferry the smuggled items were seized as a result of operations to prevent and combat of crimes and criminals.
Other seized items on the list are various sorts of banned, expired and in registered cosmetics and 20 illegal monofilaments fishing nets.
She further explained that the arrest of suspects and seizure of smuggled items were made during operations conducted between September 19 and 23 this year in the region.
According to her, during the operations, law enforcers worked jointly with officials from Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and State organs.
"The actual values for the seized items have yet to be quantified "noted the RPC who emphasized that all suspects would be arraigned into court soon after the preliminary investigations of their cases are completed.
Expounding without identifying their names due to investigation reasons RPC said two people a petty trader and a farmer both from Ilambila village in Kalambo District were red handed caught smuggling 75 cartoons of sugar from neighbouring Malawi.
"Also we arrested a suspect aged 27 years old from Chala village in Nkasi District for allegedly smuggling maize seeds from neighbouring Zambia using motor bicycle with registration numbers MC 922 CCQ" explained the RPC.
In addition, the RPC further explained that four suspects all petty traders, residents from Kantalamba Ward, Utengule area and Mazwi Ward here in municipality were arrested in possession of in registered ,banned and expired different sorts of cosmetics.