Tanzania Police Force in Shinyanga region says it has intercepted gold worth over 9.2bil/- (Us$3.6million) being smuggled from Bulyanhulu Gold Mines in Kahama district.
Shinyanga Region Police Commander ACP Janeth Magomi told reporters on Wednesday that they have seized 6.75kilos of gold stones and arrested dozens in the acts during a special operation that was held between July 26 and Aug. 22 this year.
Also found during the operation was carbon-sand mixture weighing 261 kilos suspected to have gold minerals whose value is yet to be determined.
"The suspects are in custody," she told reporters. "They will be aligned in Court shortly after the investigation. The police did not reveal the identity or the specific number of those who have been arrested in connection with the gold smuggling case. This is not the first time in Shinyanga.
The police said it has also said they have seized 603 liters of Diesel which was stolen from the ongoing construction work of the Standard Gauge Railway -SGR. Magomi says the culprits are currently changing their theft tactics and that the new arrest witnessed over 600 liters of diesel being stashed in small containers. Initially, such a process employed the use of large containers.