BY THE GUARDIAN REPORTER
20th March 2013
According to the police, the syndicate also involves officials from the Cargo Inspection Department in the Zanzibar Ministry of Infrastructure and Communication.
The syndicate was discovered after Greek national Alex Vasileios Nitis (24) was arrested on transit to Italy on March 16, this year while in possession of 5kgs of narcotic drugs.
Zanzibar Police Commissioner Mussa Ali Mussa confirming having discovered the network of drug dealers, said it was traced through two mobile phones owned by the suspect- Nitis.
Mussa elaborated that mobile phone numbers used by Nitis which are 0655588865 and 0785611151 helped the police to identify the people he was collaborating with.
It also happened that also included in the deal were officials from the Cargo Inspection Department in the Ministry of Infrastructures and Communication in Zanzibar.
The Commissioner also confirmed the arrest of one person, Yussuf Mkambi a resident of Miembeni in Unguja who is alleged to have been communicating with the suspect several times before he was arrested.
He said some staff members of the Inspection Department at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport are also part of the network as they connived to allow the drugs pass through the airport on March 16, this year.
“We are investigating four officials from the Cargo Inspection Department at the airport and are also looking for the woman who was hosting Nitis,” the Commissioner said.
He said it was early to name the officials involved in the crime and explained that the Greek national was arrested through cooperation between Interpol and Police.
Speaking to The Guardian, an employee of the hotel where Nitis was living said the suspect arrived at the on March 15, this year accompanied by a woman who resides in Zanzibar. Further report revealed that the two were seen having breakfast together.
“The guest left the hotel the following day, unfortunately he missed the flight hence returned to the hotel and requested to pay for half a day stay … his luggage was then kept at the reception and we didn’t know it contained narcotic drugs,” said a hotel employee who preferred anonymity.
The source said they can identify the woman who accompanied the suspect to the hotel if they come in contact with.
When contacted for comments, the Director of Zanzibar Airports Authority, Capt Said Ndumbogani said his department has started investigating the incident before issuing a report.
Mdumbogani said it was too early for him to comment because the passenger managed to pass through all security points without the staff noticing that he was carrying narcotic drugs.
He acknowledged that the incident is the third of the kind to occur at the airport within a short period of time.
The inspection of cargos at the airport is done by a special machine engineered by staff of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Communication instead of officials from the security and defence organs.
On March 16, this year, Police in Zanzibar seized the 5kgs of narcotic drugs at Abeid Amani Karume International Airport while on transit to Italy and they arrested Alex Vasileios Nitis, a Greek national but of a Tanzanian mother.
He was to travel to Kenya first by Kenya Airways. The haul had a street value of 200m/-.
From January to March last year six people have been arrested in connection to drug trafficking at Karume International Airport. Three of them were foreigners.
Some of them were transporting the drugs outside the country while others were bringing them in.
Zanzibar is facing a serious problem of narcotic drugs and related crimes disrupting families and development, particularly affecting young adults.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
No comments :
Post a Comment