Drugs: No teamwork, says TCAA director

[BAK]

Drugs: No teamwork, says TCAA director​

By Elisha Magolanga


Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) director general, Mr Fadhili Manongi, has blamed the increase in drug trafficking on lack of cooperation from key agencies whose role is vital if the war against the kingpins in the narcotics trade is to be won.

Mr Manongi, whose docket has been severely criticised over laxity that is making it easy to smuggle drugs through the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), singled out at least five public agencies for blame. He named the police force, Tanzania Peoples Defence Force (TPDF), Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS) and Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau (PCCB).

If there was enough cooperation from these institutions we would not have reached this situation, Mr Manongi said. The TCAA chief first talked of his frustration at a function last week during which Transport Minister Harrison Mwakyembe hit out at officials tasked with securing the countrys most important gateway for allowing what he described as a near takeover by drug dealers.

Mr Manongi then told an angry Dr Mwakyembe that there was basically no cooperation from these institutions in efforts to combat the scourge that has become so serious that it is turning Tanzania into one of the most notorious narcotic trafficking hubs in Africa.

Mr Mwakyembe was inaugurating the new National Committee on Civil Aviation, whose task is to ensure there are smooth and effective security operations at all airports, including JNIA, the largest. Interestingly, the team comprises representatives from the same five adversely mentioned agencies besides the others from the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

The TCAA boss named the agencies in a follow-up question by The Citizen and therein underscored that due to poor teamwork, security glitches have often made it impossible to win against the drug cartels and their mules.

However, respective heads of the agencies have defended themselves, with some suggesting a need for an appraisal of the shortcomings instead of engaging in blame-shifting.

The head of anti-narcotics unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Nzowa, told The Citizen that to end drug trafficking would entail a broader strategy that goes beyond the focus on JNIA.

We work closely with other stakeholders, in line with what President Kikwete directed while launching the anti-drugs task force in 2006, but dealers have also been quite creative, resorting to new tactics that are posing a really big challenge to us, said Nzowa.

Speaking in a telephone interview, the PCCB director general, Dr Edward Hosea, said his office could not be blamed as it had received no such complaints. He said: PCCB is not a security organ as such, and I have not been informed of any corruption allegations, nor have I been requested to give any assistance at the airport.

The anti-graft czar said like other Tanzanians, members of his outfit has heard and read about corruption and drug trafficking in the media. As an independent agency tackling corruption, we will not ignore these reports and are already working on some leads, Dr Hosea said. He did not elaborate.

TPDFs Major Eric Komba said the military does not play a direct role in the war against drug trafficking. However, the law gives us the authority to assist civilian institutions when requested through appropriate channels, Gen Komba said. He said no such assistance has been sought by the airport authorities. Efforts to get a comment from the TISS were futile throughout the week.

Mr Manongi was, however, optimistic the new TCAA committee would take the drugs trafficking challenge head on. He noted that poor scanning technology was another stumbling block at the airport. According to Manongi, raising the bar would mean an immediate investment of $30 million (Sh48 billion) on a new body scanning equipment.

Authorities with any say at what goes on at the JNIA have recently come under sever public pressure as the countrys most important airport has come to be viewed as a major exit and entry point of drug traffickers.


The Citizen, Monday August 12 2013 at 21:02

 

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