JNIA fitted with new detection equipment

By Correspondent. 26th August 2013

                                     

Transport Minister, Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe

 In efforts to beef up security and fight drug trafficking at Julius Nyerere International Airport the government has introduced modern machines capable of not only detecting but also identifying the type of drugs being trafficked.


Speaking with The Guardian soon after inspection of the new machines yesterday at JNIA, Transport Minister, Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe, was optimistic that the Rapscan 600 series machines that were fixed last week will ensure the trend is curbed.

“These machines have the ability to identify even the very type of drugs…they will go along way in keeping the traffickers from JNIA,” said the Minister.

To compliment these new machines, he revealed that Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) has also installed its own machines, coupled with collaboration among the different security organs then the Minister believes it will be almost impossible for drug traffickers to use JNIA.

Already, Mwakyembe, said on Friday last week a Vietnamese was arrested with tusks at JNIA thanks to the new equipment and concerted security efforts.

On his part, the Security Manager for JNIA, Clemence Jingu, noted that the airport has tightened up security at the airport including inspection of night luggage arrivals which were previously not inspected.

“We used not to inspect night luggage arrivals from other countries but now we have started. This is to ensure that no one uses the airport as a gateway for drugs,” Jingu said.

Of recent, cases of drugs being imported and exported through the country’s airport have been rampant deeming JNIA, one of the main gateways for drug traffickers.

On August 16 this year, Mwakyembe named six airport personnel, one of them a police officer, for facilitating passage to South Africa of the 180kg of drugs valued at 8.2bn/- on July 5, this year.

Mwakyembe ordered for the immediate dismissal of the suspects to pave way for legal action.

Two young females, Agnes Gerald Deal (alias Masogange) and Melisa Edward were arrested on arrival at Oliver Tambo airport in Johannesburg and have since been charged in court.

Then followed the US news agency Associated Press’ (AP) report that a Tanzanian admitted in court to smuggling heroin inside a laptop.

The news agency reported from Los Angeles that the man faces up to 40 years in prison for trying to smuggle heroin into the United States.

The City News Service reported that the 33-year-old Joseph Makubi pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles federal court almost two weeks ago.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN via IPPMEDIA.COM