Joint Border Operation Leads to Arrest of Tanzanian National Smuggling Cocaine Into Uganda
A multi-agency operation conducted by the Joint Point Control Unit (JPCU) has resulted in the arrest of a 37-year-old Tanzanian man and the seizure of 60 cocaine pellets he was attempting to smuggle into Uganda.
According to officials, JPCU received a tip last week that Shabani Siriri Abdallah intended to travel to Uganda with narcotics. Abdallah had originally planned to fly to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from Brazil but changed his flight destination to Entebbe, Uganda, arriving on August 24, 2023.
Upon his arrival, a JPCU officer detained Abdallah. A joint investigation with the aviation police’s anti-narcotics unit then discovered he had ingested drugs. Further investigation revealed Abdallah’s travel route from Brazil to Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, and finally Entebbe.
During the controlled drug egestion process, 60 pellets of cocaine were recovered from Abdallah. The drugs have been placed in police custody. The case has since been handed over to the anti-narcotics aviation police unit at Entebbe airport for further action.
JPCU is a multi-agency task force consisting of customs, wildlife, and police officers implementing programs to curb illicit smuggling of drugs, explosives, wildlife, and other contraband through Uganda’s ports of entry. The unit works closely with international partners like INTERPOL and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.