SAME: THE Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA), in collaboration with the Tanzania Police Force, has completed a special operation in the villages of Marieni and Mhero in Chome Ward, Same District, Kilimanjaro Region.
During the operation, authorities seized a total of 299.8 kilograms of khat (locally known as mirungi) and destroyed 203 acres of the crop.
DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said seven people have been arrested in connection with allegations of illegal cultivation and distribution of khat. He noted that despite ongoing public education efforts and regular enforcement operations, some individuals continue to defy the law.
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Lyimo warned that the authority will continue to take strict action against anyone involved in the cultivation and trade of khat. He emphasized that the DCEA will keep working closely with village, ward, and district leaders, as well as other development stakeholders, to strengthen public awareness campaigns and conduct sustained operations to ensure long-term control of the drug.
Meanwhile, Mhero Village Executive Officer Hamad Waziri Hamad said the operation has greatly benefited the community, particularly young people, many of whom have begun abandoning the cultivation and use of khat. He explained that prior to the operation, there had been a rise in criminal activities linked to the use of the crop.