2016-03-19  (updated regularly with  new letters and new info about recent arrests ....scroll down for these)

        Tanzania/Drugs File   (Comments welcome here)                  See also: South African Letter

Scroll down for updates

On July 21, 2013, this website, in partnership with media and bloggers in Tanzania, began a campaign to warn Tanzanians about the danger of bringing drugs to Hong Kong as "drug mules".  In the months before the campaign began, at least 2 or 3 new DD (dangerous drugs) Africans (mainly Tanzanians) were arrested on arrival at HK airport each week, swelling the number of HK Tanzanian inmates to more than 100. (Of these 100, a small number are from other countries, using a Tanzanian passport)

Original post of July 21: Drug Mules  (received 5031 hits July 21-31 on www.v2catholic.com , as well as thousands of other hits on Tanzania blog sites)

BETWEEN AUGUST 3, 2013 AND APRIL 1, 2014 , ONLY ONE NEW DD TANZANIAN (a man, on Feb 17, 2014)  JOINED THE PRISON POPULATION OF HK ON ARRIVAL AT HK AIRPORT!  BETWEEN AUGUST 3 AND APRIL 1, 2014,  ONLY THREE  OTHER DD COURIERS FROM THE WHOLE OF AFRICA  WERE ARRESTED AT HK AIRPORT ON ARRIVAL IN HK! 

COMPARE THIS WITH BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN WHEN AT LEAST 2 OR 3 AFRICANS (MAINLY TANZANIANS) WERE ARRESTED EACH WEEK  (....IN FACT DURING ONE WEEK OF LAST JULY, 
SIX TANZANIANS WERE ARRESTED ON ARRIVAL IN THE ONE WEEK!)

THE CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN BLESSED BY THE GOOD LORD .....AND MANY DOZENS OF MEN AND WOMEN ARE NOW WITH THEIR FAMILIES IN AFRICA, INSTEAD OF BEING IN PRISON IN HONG KONG.

THE WORD HAS SPREAD: "DON'T BRING DRUGS TO HONG KONG. IT'S TOO RISKY". PLEASE HELP THIS CAMPAIGN. PLEASE LINK THIS FILE TO YOUR BLOG/FACEBOOK ETC AND ASK YOUR FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME. THANK YOU!  

In April and May 2014, another group of Tanzanians were arrested at HK airport. Game not over!

The Drug Lords are keeping up their campaign ....so must we keep up our campaign to oppose them.  The Drug Lords are the new Slave Traders ....catching/fooling naive/desperate people to become drug mules. Let's stop this New Slavery!

Between May 29, 2014 and January 13, 2015, only one Tanzanian arrested at HK airport.

May 2015 - Feb 2016: Only one Tanzanian arrested at HK airport. But a number of others arrested - mainly from Nigeria and South Africa and Uganda

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Many of the items below have also been posted on Jamii Forums and other blogs: 
At http://www.jamiiforums.com enter "wotherspoon" into "search".
(works with Internet Explorer)

Photo reports of my trip to Tanzania January 2015 to visit families of HK inmates

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UPDATES

March 12, 2016: Tanzania's Global Drug Kingpin Is Unmasked
- article mentions this website! ("letter from prisoner...")

Feb 17, 2016: Ice worth AUD$1 billion seized - HK/China arrests
Law enforcement agencies have seized $1 billion of ice in the largest drug bust of liquid methamphetamine in Australia's history. Three Hong Kong nationals and one Chinese national have been charged

Feb 17, 2016: Woman from Dubai flight arrested at HK airport for trafficking

Feb 8, 2016: Drug bust nets HK$10m worth in New Year haul

Feb 1, 2016:      132 Nigerians waiting to die….120 on death row in China

Jan 18, 2016: Nairobi Standard42 Kenyan drug suspects rotting in Hong Kong cells

Dec 27: Woman from Uganda arrested HK airport for trafficking

Dec 23: Filipina drug mule who carried HK$1.77m worth of cocaine to Hong Kong while pregnant, jailed for 14 years

Dec 23: All-out war declared against Tanzanian drug dealers

Dec 26: There are many dozens of Nigerian drug mules in HK prisons, but only one of them is a  ...woman!
Only one Nigerian woman in detention in HK!  I was surprised to learn this on Dec 25....when I met the good lady herself. 
On the other hand, dozens of Tanzanian, Kenyan and South African women. 

Dec 8: Tanzania drug barons buy freedom with heroin

October 13: Letter (in English) from a Nigerian inmate in a HK prison

Oct 4: woman arrested for trafficking
HK Customs officers have arrested a 23-year-old woman after finding 3.8kg of cocaine worth $4.4 million in false compartments in a suitcase she was carrying at the airport.

Oct 4: Hard copies of SCMP articles re US socialite tricked into drug trafficking in HK
 and re AFP detective assigned to HK:
 
2015-10-04SCMP-Elizabeth.jpg (1362343 bytes) 2015-10-04SCMP-AFP.jpg (607489 bytes)

On line copies: From Fifth Avenue penthouse to Hong Kong jail: How a US socialite became an unwitting drug mule in Hong Kong  and  Australian crime-buster posted to HK to tackle drug menace

Sep 30: Four women arrested at HK airport for drug trafficking

                            Sep 25: Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

Sep 21: The Thai woman in this video - sent by Nigerian Drug Lord - smuggled heroin to Hong Kong 3 times and on her hast trip she was arrested

Sep 21: Two Filipino women arrested at HK airport - drugs in luggage  (video)

Sep 19: Letter (in Swahili) from Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

Aug 17: Powerful South African media documentary about South Africans locked up abroad - and SA government's heartless refusal to make Prison Transfer Agreements with other nations.  Has lessons for all nations, especially re people tricked into being drug mules

Aug 17: Open letter to South African parliament
- from Belgian doctor in Thailand, distressed at deteriorating condition of inmates in Thai prisons

Aug 17: The International Organization for Migration says that people forced/tricked into drug trafficking should be reclassified as "victims of human trafficking". This has huge ramifications.

Aug 17: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has produced  Handbook on the international transfer of sentenced persons 

August 12: Deadly cheap heroin taking its toll on people of Zanzibar
"Nzowa has headed the Tanzania anti-drug unit for a decade, refuses to retire, and is at the top of every drug lord’s hit list....One unlikely informant turned out to be John Wotherspoon, a Catholic priest living in Hong Kong, who noticed the increasing amount of Tanzanian men jailed in Hong Kong for smuggling"

August: ABC TV 7.30 Report from Australia
- about elderly and vulnerable people (including several inmates in HK whom I regularly visit) being duped by African drug gangs into being drug mules

July 14: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
 (... sad story of  a female drug mule's medical condition...)
(This letter got more than 800 views and 18 comments when posted on Jamii Forums)

June 9, 2015: I went to Macau Prison which has about a dozen Tanzanians
....but in the last year ...not one new one...God is Good!

June 10: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison: 

June 1: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison: 

June 7: Two Female Nigerian Drug Traffickers Busted on Their Way to China
(report is not so clear....presume/hope women were arrested in Nigeria ....and no "noose" in China ...rather, injection or bullet)

May 28: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

May 23: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

May 8, 2015: NZ/Australia man faces death sentence in China

May 8: Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

May 2, 2015:  Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

April 22, 2015: Report in Swahili about Morris Sekwao, a Nigerian living in Tanzania, who was caught at Nigeria Airport, coming from Dar Es Salaam, with 25 kgs (!) of drugs. A famous guy in Tz.  

April 8, 2015: South African woman arrested at HK airport for drug trafficking

March 30: Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

March 26, 2015: Tanzania MPs want life imprisonment for drug kingpins (... at least one of whom is an MP!)

2015-03-26 Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison:
- a drug trafficker names and shames his Drug Lord, Kiboko, and asks the authorities to arrest Kiboko in Tanzania

2015-03-19  Three Africans acquitted of HK drug trafficking charge 
(c.f. Feb 13 report, below, re SA cop..)

March 12, 2015: Elderly foreigners being tricked into smuggling drugs out of HK
- all are in detention, facing long sentences, unlike Australia, - c.f.
A difference between Hong Kong and Australia   
 

March 14, 2015: Singapore hangs two convicted drug dealers
(for 15 grams of heroin ....c.f. people bringing 1 or more kilos to HK!)

March 3, 2015: Tanzania's Mwanachi paper kindly had six reports about my visit to Tz in January. But a Mwanachi article of March 3 has unfortunately got a few facts wrong. Article, in Swahili, says 8 Tanzanian women were arrested recently at HK airport. Not true. Only one in past 11 months (on Feb 18). Seems that the  arrests were made in China.  (Very sad if true, because of death penalty)

March 1, 2015: My latest audio file sent to Clouds Media in Tanzania, to discourage people from drug trafficking to HK

It's not just Africans who get long sentences in HK:
Feb 14, 2015: HK drug courier, 15, gets nine years in prison

Feb 13, 2015: South African cop held in HK for drug smuggling  (but report inaccurate: arrested at HK-China border, not at airport)

Feb 13, 2015: Tanzanian police seize 40 kg of heroin, arrest two foreigners

Feb 8, 2015: No bail to notorious Tanzanian drug dealer - article mentions letter published on v2catholic.com 
(date in article should be 2013, not 2002)

(since many Africans still don't know that Indonesia has the death penalty)
Feb 4, 2015:
Execution Island: Where drug traffickers are executed in Indonesia 
- see the words of my Oblate confrere Fr Charlie "it takes 7 or 8 minutes for prisoners to die after  beeing shot by firing squad"
   c.f. Priest relives firing squad deaths for court

Jan 29, 2015 Email from a Jamii Forum friend:
Some at Jamii Forums have recommend you to visit a place locally called Kinondoni kwa Manyanya. It is a local area situated at Kinondoni District in Dar Es Salaam. This is a place where most most drugs are sold publicly. It is also a place where you will be able to see most drug users and how they have been affected by the use of drugs, bse in every 10 people there, four of them have been affected by the use of drugs. There is a bus stop there sometimes you may find a lot of drug users sitting there with nothing to do. I should also remind you that one of the politicians who was named as a drug lord in a letter you published on your website is a member of parliament representing Kinondoni constituency. 

Jan 27, 2015: HK police arrest 6 African asylum seekers, seize illegal drugs and US$730000 cash

Jan 27, 2015 ‘drug kingpin’ Wong Chi-ping forced to burn meth haul in Indonesia  (+ death penalty?  - see this report)

Jan 24, 2015: This Tanzania Jumamosi article (in Swahili) has many references to China

Six executed in Indonesia Foreigners from Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam and the Netherlands shot dead, as well as an Indonesian woman. 40 to 50 people die each day from using drugs in Indonesia.

 

January 6 to Jan 19:  Five articles about my Africa trip and its topics in Tanzania's number one paper "Mwananchi", one article a front page headline, the four others highlighted on front page. Many thanks Team Mwananchi: (not sure why my surname gained an extra "o"!)

2015-01-06Mwananchi01.jpg (617595 bytes) 2015-01-06Mwananchi02.jpg (731509 bytes) 2015-01-13Mwananchi01.jpg (620873 bytes) 2015-01-13Mwananchi02.jpg (287499 bytes) 2015-01-17Mwananchi01.jpg (599079 bytes) 2015-01-17Mwananchi02.jpg (636705 bytes) 2015-01-18Mwananchi01.jpg (603467 bytes) 2015-01-18Mwananchi02.jpg (757515 bytes) 2015-01-19Mwananchi01.jpg (603589 bytes) 2015-01-19Mwananchi02.jpg (705188 bytes)

2015-01-14  Strong comment by reader re my trip to Tanzania

Jan 10, 2015: Big Drug Lord - Gwiji - arrested in Tanzania

Dec 22: Letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison: 
- message to drug mules: 5 good reasons to abort your mission

Dec 21: Letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- stop the insanity of drug-trafficking to China, HK, Macau

Dec 15: Video:
South African drug mules in foreign jails may never return home
3,000 South Africans are estimated to be serving time in foreign jails – almost all of them for drug-related crimes

Dec 12:  63 drug-trafficking foreigners arrested by Guangzhou customs officials this year. Don't they know that China has the death penalty for drugs? Foreigner in this report is from Australia, but no doubt the majority of the 63 are, sadly, from Africa.

Nov 23: Letter in English from a Nigerian inmate in a HK prison
- no African food for 10 years while in prison!

Nov 22: Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
re the way drug lords trick people into being drug mules ...e.g. by employing several on the same plane, without letting the several know each other, in the hope that one of the group will evade customs

Nov 21: Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
- re why no government probe against known drug lords?

Nov 9: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
re African passport holders subject to extra scrutiny because of Ebola

Nov 2: Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
re Tanzanian ambassador Mr Shimbo's visit to HK    

Comment posted Oct 28 on v2catholic.com  at this link (comment no. 28):
It is claimed that the arrest of Chonji has to do with the son of the Tanzania’s ambassador in China, the one who threatened the Tanzanian prisoners in Hong Kong prisons to stop writing the letters you publish on this website. It is claimed that the ambassador’s son is also involved in this drug business. The son was given by Chonji drugs worth Tsh. 250 million to sell but later informed Chonji that the drugs had been lost, or found by the authorities, which Chonji didn’t believe. So Chonji arranged for some guys to rape him. His father responded, leading to the arrest of Chonji and others. This is what has been claimed
here 

 

Oct 26: New letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
"Drug trafficking is a national disaster" 
    

Oct 23: Stand-off pits drug dealers, Dar police - Chonji arrested!
Notice how Chonji's name is on this page of very first letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison posted on this website!  Further verification of accuracy of letter!

Oct 19: Letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison 
"Drug trafficking into Hong Kong is a suicide mission"

Oct 10: Letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison commenting on South China Morning Post article (see below) re Tz inmate in HK claiming to have been threatened by Tz  ambassador to China ....for writing letters for this website      

Sep 30: The Citizen has published a report about South China Morning Post article on Tanzanian inmates in HK being threatened by the Tanzanian ambassador. Jamii Forums has a post in Swahili about this. Swahili post has had 9,800 views!

 

2014-09-28  Article in HK South China Morning Post: (click to enlarge)
2014-09-28SCMP-A7.jpg (592949 bytes)

2014-09-22 Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison - in response to publication by Tz government of 403 Tanzanians in prisons overseas

2014-09-16 Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- in response to publication by Tz government of names of 250 drug traffickers in prison in Tanzania

2014-09-10 Letter in English from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison - in response to publication by Tz government of names of all Tz inmates in overseas prisons

There are 400 Tanzanians in overseas prisons on drug trafficking charges
- figure is at end of this article which is mistaken in saying there is a death penalty in HK and Macau

2014-08-18 Letter in Swahili from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- commenting on this story:
Tanzania President: My son was not arrested in China for drug trafficking

2014-08-09: Tanzania President: My son was not arrested in China for drug trafficking
(But Tanzanian inmates in HK prisons say that the son is a Drug Lord - see letters below)

2014-08-12:  New letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
 - asking TZ government to muscle up their policy enforcement

2014-07-24: Letter (in Swahili with English summary) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- warning people about the drug enforcers

2014-07-15: New letter (in Swahili with English summary) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
 - naming and shaming more drug barons

2014-06-28: New letter (in Swahili & English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
 - calling on the religious community to do more to help the poor in Tanzania

2014-06-27: New letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
- calling for better airport security to fight the Drug Lords

2014-06-26:   400 young Tanzanian drug mules in foreign prisons
 (Of the more than 100 Tanzanian inmates in HK prisons, I'm not aware of anyone under 21 years old ....so the term "youth" is not clear for me ....nor is the figure "18 in HK")

2014-06-15 Nigerian arrested at Tanzania airport had record amount of drugs

2014-06-14 Two drug mules arrested at Hong Kong airport

2014-06-11 Letter (in English) from a South African inmate in a HK prison 
- Drug Lords are like lions; drug mules are like birds. Writer was a Drug Lord

2014-06-07 Letter (in Swahili, with English summary) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison - asking Tanzanian Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Godfrey Nzowa, to take action against the well known Drug Lord Kiboko, who is responsible for quite a number of drug mules recently arrested at Hong Kong airport

2014-05-28 Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

2014-05-25 Tanzania: Sh6bn drugs seized in 2-and-half years

2014-05-23  See my comment at this drug story in The Citizen 

2014-05-18 Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison

 

2014-05-12
Comment posted by
Richard at this article in Tanzania's The Citizen
Man with 4 kg of cocaine arrested at Dar es Salaam Airport

Those being arrested are just mere errand boys, the drug barons are somewhere under dishonest security officials' protection enjoying cool breeze. It's embarrassing to realize how young energetic Tanzanians in the Chinese jails are clamouring for President Kikwete's intervention in securing the Hong Kong prisoners be allowed to serve their remaining jail terms in Tanzania instead of languishing in the foreign jail vide website www.v2catholic.com for the hand written appeal and Kong Kong's administrative authority letter in endeavouring to assist the inmates! These inmates while in Tanzanian prisons could be in handy to act as government witnesses against the actual drug dragons unless the authority doesn't have the guts in confronting the bigwigs since some of the pinpointed ones are either ministers, chief executives or members of parliament as mentioned in their (inmate) hand written letters. We thank the Kong Kong Chaplain for the wonderful assistance He accords to the male and female Tanzania inmates

2014-05-11: Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison:
"I am deeply disturbed about drug trafficking in our nation. Recent arrests show that people are still ignorant of bringing drugs to China, Hong Kong and Macau"

2014-05-06: Tanzanian held over Sh500bn heroin haul
A Tanzanian national is among suspects seized over the record $312 million (about Sh500 billion) heroin intercepted by an Australian navy ship last month off the Kenyan coast

2014-05-05: Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian mother serving 16 years in a Hong Kong prison,
asking Tanzanian President to agree to her transfer to Tanzania

2014-04-27 Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison 
- explaining the reasons for this campaign by inmates

April 25, 2014:  See my April 25 post on Jamii Forums:
Australian navy seizes $290 million of heroin from boat off Kenya coast + new Tz mules in HK

April 25, 2014: Tanzania President (whose son is a drug lord?) calling for tighter airport security

2014-04-13 Letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
-
an appeal to the Tanzanian Ambassador in Beijing for a repatriation agreement between Tanzania and China

2014-04-07: First attempt as drug courier lands Kenyan mother in a Hong Kong jail
(I met this dear lady many times in HK's Lo Wu Prison)
Website copy of this story:  01   02

2014-04-04 Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

2014-04-03 An open letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tanzania
from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

2014-04-01 New letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
- again warning of the danger of drug trafficking to China, HK, Macau

 

2014-03-30: Information has it that the Number One Drug African Drug Lord - "Omari" - is currently in Guangzhou.  He is in charge of all operations in Guangdong, HK and Macau ....having taken over this post after the previous Number One returned to Africa (where he was recently arrested)


2014-04-29: Very disturbing email from a reader in Tanzania:  (re Shikuba):

Hi Rev John!
Please be informed (may be you have already got some information) that the mentioned drug dealer (Ali Khatibu Haji, popularly known as Shikuba) who is in custody MAY BECOME FREE SOON!. This is because there is A VERY VERY  BIG EFFORT from the state house (Tanzanian's president office) trying to intervene the matter and make sure the man is free. We had this news in some of our local papers. It seems the ''force'' from the state house is inevitable and it is a matter of time the guy will be a free man!

2014-03-23 New letter in Swahili (with English summary) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison - re the capture of Shikuba

South China Morning Post report on this website's campaign re drug mules from Africa  with  SCMP video report    (Chinese report in Ming Pao newspaper)
(SCMP hardcopy  01   02)    Swahili translation (God bless kind translator!)
Saved copy of Swahili translation

2014-03-20 Another "Big Fish" caught at Tanzania's International Airport 
- well done!

2014-03-11    New letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
Drug free Tanzania is possible

2014-03-03: Top drug baron nabbed at Tanzania's Dar airport
(This guy was No. 1 Man in HK, Macau and China ...a very big fish. Next target, his successor: Omari)

2014-02-28: New letter (in English) from a Tanzanian inmate in a HK prison
Mr. Ridhiwani Kikwete, the beloved son of our honourable President is among several high ranked Tanzanian figures who have been blocked from entering the United States, because he is a top Drug Lord.
RK's profile  (he's such a brilliant lawyer that he has become a millionaire in only 5 years....but....money from law or drugs???)

2014-02-27: West African drug trafficker arrested in Hong Kong 
- scroll down for video report in Chinese press (can't find in English press). 
Not arrested on arrival; was already in HK

2014-02-25    New letter ( in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

2014-02-18:  letter in English from an African inmate in a Hong Kong Prison
- "Life in the Fast Lane"


2014-02-16: A
new letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- imploring Tanzanians to be careful of Drug Barons

2014-01-23 Tanzania: Drug traffickers at sea a new challenge

2014-01-17: More details about Tanzanian woman arrested intending to get plane to Macau

2014-01-15: A new comment at Tanzania file has info re alleged drug lords Mwigulu, Nchimbi, Ridhiwani & Kapuya

2014-01-09 Another Tanzanian "stomach" drug courier arrested 
- was booked to fly to Macau  (...drug lords still trying to get drugs into China/HK....this website's campaign needs to continue!)

2013-12-31  Article in The Citizen:     
How drug trafficking tainted Tanzanian's clean image in 2013

The second half of 2013 has seen a heightened war against drug trafficking, thanks to a letter by a young Tanzanian jailed in Hong Kong that renewed public pressure for authorities to act.
(and see comment about HK chaplain and www.v2catholic.com by Richard)

2013-12-30    Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

In a separate note to me, the inmate says "Because of recent happenings ....arrests in Tanzania, Macau and China, showing the Drug Lords are still up to their old tricks ....we need to keep up the campaign. In my new letter I am imploring the people of Africa to be more vigilant against the drug kingpins and their operatives and recruiters"

2013-12-29  Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
This new letter continues the campaign to warn people about the danger of being a "drug mule"

Dec 19: Tanzanian woman arrested Macau - 1.1 kilograms pellets of Heroin in her body. Photos of woman and the pellets. She was aiming to go to China. (Is she an African Tanzanian? - c.f.  photo ...brown hair)
See my post about this story at Jamii Forums - has had 1,600 views

2013-12-22    Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
This new letter is similar to previous letters, aiming to create more awareness of the risks involved in trafficking to Hong Kong & China. The letter also mentions the names of the mastermind and his subordinate.
My post about this letter at Jamii Forums had more than 800 views before being closed to comments + counting of number of views (...maybe hacked? ...since original post is still there) - see this Print Screen image
(third post from top)   

Dec 19: Tanzanian man with 83 heroin capsules in stomach arrested at Dar es Salaam airport 
This confirms what I've heard from inmates in HK: Drug Lords are trying to get drug mules to fly direct to China (...because extremely high chance of arrest + long prison sentence in HK) ....and several Tanzanian drug mules have recently been arrested in China...and ....China has death penalty!

Dec 15: Two women arrested at Dar es Salaam airport 
Women were heading to Hong Kong! (didn't they know that's not a good idea?!).  One woman had 122 capsules removed from her stomach - a record for a womanDrug lords back to their old tricks: MEN know it's dangerous, so use WOMEN who may not be so informed, or may be more desperate for money for their families

Dec 14: Drugs: act tough, act now (The Citizen)

Nov 18: A new letter (in Swahili)from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison

Nov 17: A new letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
This letter names two prominent drug lords, names the businesses they run as fronts, and gives their mobile numbers!
This letter also answers the charge that previous letters were not genuine:
if previous letters were not genuine, how come drug lords are making threatening phone calls to families of inmates alleged to have provided material for this website?!

Nov 11:  Swahili article in Sema Usikike about HK Tanzanian inmates' families - Describing how drug lords are threatening the families of HK inmates alleged to have provided letters for this website

Nov 10:  Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
This letter names 8 prominent drug lords, and calls on the head of the anti-narcotics unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Nzowa,
to publish on-line the photos of this
D8

Nov 7 - Drugs: clean courts needed  (Editorial from The Citizen)

November 3:    Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison This letter encourages people to name and shame "the big fish". If you have information, give it to the authorities. If you are a business person coming from Tanzania to HK and you have information about "big fish", please give that info to the police in HK

Oct 27: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- to help people better understand the harm of drug trafficking

 Oct 26: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- re Tanzania, China, Macau, Hong Kong ....and drugs

Oct 20: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
Calling on the the head of the anti-narcotics unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Nzowa,
 to take stronger action against drug lords

Oct 9: Letter (in Swahili) from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Prison
- written just after he was sentenced. In a separate note he said "this letter will educate more people and even educate the Tanzania government".
Theme of letter: what's needed:  not new drug laws, but the observance of laws

Oct 3: Another letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
Let’s use our Proxy Votes - a reply to 

You’re on your own, (Tanzanian President) tells drug mules seized abroad

Sep 29: A new letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
Avoid drug trafficking by "the reverence of God"

Sep 24: A new Swahili letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
calling for not just the little fish, but the big fish - the drug barons, the 100 names - to be punished with the same justice as the little fish

Sep 19: You’re on your own, (Tanzanian President) tells drug mules seized abroad
See comment supporting John W's comment

Sep 18: New letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
Our Struggle - "Strategy for Change"  - really beautiful, like something Mandela or Gandhi would write.
(Tanzania has a Mandela in a HK prison?!)

September 12: New letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison:
Radical measures needed to tackle the wanton corruption in Tanzania's government   

Sep 11: This article of a Tanzanian blogger is in Swahili, but has a "translate to English" button. Article uses much material from v2catholic article Drug Mules of July 21, supporting the call to fight the drug trade

Sep 8: New agency to fight narcotics
(see comment from Richard)

September 5: New letter from a Tanzanian inmate in Hong Kong:
An open letter to the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Mr. Willian Lukuvi
  

Re: Your "On list of Drug Barons" 
(a copy of which was given to the inmate) 

Tanzania rolls out tough measures against drug smuggling
This article shows how lax Tanzania is in fighting the drug problem

Tanzania's JNIA fitted with new detection equipment
This article mentions Tanzanian man facing 40 years in a US prison

Tanzania: The ideal destination for drug gangs
Because of unprotected coastline plus inadequate customs controls and cross-border co-operation, as well as weak criminal justice systems

Tanzania's 'mules' ply Johannesburg streets
Barely a quarter of Tanzanians in South Africa have legal jobs and many are drug dealers

Sep 2: Tanzanians arrested in Kenya - a big bust

Record number of drug cases for hearing during Tanzania High Court session
Corruption and influence peddling by highly placed individuals have been cited as one factor that frustrates the war against traffickers

During August, no male Tanzanian "drug mules" were arrested in Hong Kong. Previously several were being arrested each week. Five weeks ago, six were arrested in one week. This website's campaign, supported by Tanzanian media and bloggers, to warn about the dangers of bringing drugs to HK, has been blessed by the Good Lord.
What about other countries?  Has any other country noticed that Tanzanian "mules" have stopped arriving? If you have any information, please email me: jdwomi@gmail.com 

September 1:   Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in Hong Kong:
New Era:  A Drug Free Tanzania

Aug 31:  From a Tanzanian  inmate in a Hong Kong prison
- in Swahili and English:  An open letter to the President

Suggestion from Tanzanian inmates in HK prisons: stop people from other parts of Africa obtaining Tanzanian passports (with false names). At the moment, because of corruption in Tanzania, it's easy to obtain a Tanzanian passport in order to be a "drug mule"

Bribery and corruption in Tanzania

Aug 29: HK South China Morning Post:
Drug mules must find no welcome in HK

Aug 28: The Citizen:
You are on list of drug barons, MPs told
(see comment from John W)

Aug 23: Tanzania: Noose Tightened Over Drugs ((words...or actions?...))

Aug 23: Drug smuggling
(excellent article by Netherlands Embassy in Tanzania)

Aug 22: Desperate Tanzanian youth getting more entangled in drugs - makes reference to July 21 article Drug Mules on v2catholic.com 

Aug 21: Four Tanzania airport officials sacked on suspicion of drug trafficking
(and see the comment)

August 20:  The Citizen (Tanzania)
We’ve to win drugs war!

August 20:
Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong are suggesting that HK should require all visitors from Tanzania to obtain a visa ....because a visa requires time and information ....and this would make it more difficult for drug lords in Tanzania to trick simple village people into becoming drug mules. City people now not so easy to trick ...they know about long prison sentences in HK...but village people not so savvy ....and easier to persuade with lines like "if you get caught, you'll only get 3-4 years" ...so without the need for a visa, village people are persuaded today to do the job and tomorrow they're on a plane to HK....and the following day are in prison for maybe 20 years

2013-08-19  Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison
 ‘DRUG TRAFFICKING’ - A national problem  (...a reflection on paying the price for speaking out...)  

August 17: Drug trafficking takes tolls on Tanzanians (in HK)
This article from Tanzania's The Citizen (in its ongoing anti-drug campaign) quotes extensively from v2catholic.com 

August 16, 2013: Tanzania minister: 
I’ll name drug lords today

August 16: Two days ago, during Typhoon Signal No. 8, I had lunch at Chung King Mansions (after buying some items for prison inmates). At table next to me where two men from Tanzania...which country is very dear to my heart at the moment...200 Tanzanian inmates in Hong Kong...lots of items on this website and sites in Tanzania re the 200. One of the two men arrived in HK a week ago. I asked him what was it like coming through HK airport with a Tanzanian passport. He said they searched him from top to toe, x-rayed him, then made him take some medicine which caused him to defecate (...many "drug mules" have the drugs in their stomach, in plastic containers ..double condoms..). No drugs were present, so HK customs staff said "sorry about that ...you can go now".  Hope the word goes out to potential drug mules: 
HK will give you the  S _ I  _ S !    Which is sad news for genuine travellers

August 13, 2013: Tanzania's The Citizen has an excellent new article:
Drugs: Together we’ll win

2013-08-13   Letter from a Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison: (in Swahili & English)
President Kikwete's anti-narcotic campaign just for appearances 

Frank Makange Blog: Jamhuri Newspaper published 255 names of people said to be engaging in drug trafficking.
The list is HERE


August 12, 2013: Drugs: No teamwork, says Tanzania CAA director  (The Citizen)

 August 12, 2013 Tanzania The Citizen  report: Confession of a drug trafficker.
Following a leaked letter (posted on www.v2catholic.com) by a Tanzanian drug courier imprisoned in Hong Kong in which he listed reported drug barons and warned youth against joining the trade,
The Citizen on Sunday traced Juma who gave an account of how youth were recruited and hooked into the trade

August 12, 2013:  The Citizen editorial:
We must not become a nation of drug dealers

August 11: When drug trade and consumption threaten to become national disaster 
(Tanzania IPP Media)
But most critics contend that the big fish behind the trafficking syndicates remain scot free as corrupt law enforcers get compromised by the former.

August 11, 2013: Tanzanian farmers and drug dealers
With so much media coverage about the drug issue in recent weeks, the silence of the government is deafening

August 11 Excellent new article from Tanzania's The Citizen which is pursuing the drugs story:
Big cloud hangs over drug cases 
(..how do you spell "corruption"?...)

August 11 The Citizen confirming claims of HK inmates:
Nzowa sheds light on drug barons

August 11, 2013: Letter from Tanzanian inmate in a Hong Kong prison 
Anti-narcotic war: Are Politicians Real? (In Swahili & English)

August 10, 2013: EDITORIAL : The reputation of our airports in jeopardy
(The Citizen)

August 9, 2013: Letters from inmates in Hong Kong prison

August 7, 2013: Transport minister blasts airport security standard
"Our airport has become a free gateway for drug traffickers"
(this article makes reference to July 21 article Drug Mules  

August 5, 2013: Let Us Intensify War On Drug Peddling (Part One) (see comment from jw)
An article that seems to have been encouraged by article on v2catholic:  Drug Mules
(note: there are 200 Tanzanians in HK prisons ....so the world figure must be many times that) 

August 2, 2013: Tanzania on the spot over anti-narcotics war 
(refers to July 21 article
Drug Mules)  

August 1: Political will to deal with drug kingpins ‘is lacking’  - see comments
(refers to July 21 article
Drug Mules

August 1, 2012: Pregnant women used to smuggle drugs 
 (to avoid detection by airport scanners)

July 31, 2013: Hong Kong customs detects three drug trafficking cases in one day (July 25)
- two of them men from Tanzania

Three of many blogs which have re-posted Drug Mules 
(from v2catholic.com of July 21, 2013):
Frank Makange        Hassbaby      Udakuspecially  (...the more bloggers who re-post, the better...to spread the message that bringing drugs to Hong Kong means a long prison sentence)

July 21, 2013:  Drug Mules  (received 5031 hits July 21-31 on www.v2catholic.com )

July 6, 2013:    Meeting in Hong Kong:  Ambassador Philip S. Marmo and Counsellor Edmund Juma Kitokezi  from the Beijing Embassy of Tanzania

 

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Jamii Forum posts:

Graphic photos of dead African mule being opened up

Post of Nov 19

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2012-03-14: Langa - Breaking the silence on drugs in Tanzania

Langa’s work and example could not be more needed and important. The silence that hangs over drug-use in Tanzania needs to be broken. If we are to have any chance of preventing and responding to this ever growing problem, we need to listen to, not shun the heroic stories of those who have battled this aggressive addiction and who have recovered

President Kikwete’s son - heat back on re graft accusations 
This 2011 article has relevance in 2013, since HK inmates (and some Tanzanian bloggers) say the president's son is involved in drug trafficking. 
To access this article, put into Google:
"president kikwete's son heat back on graft accusations"

Tanzania Journalists failing their nation  
- re death of anti-drug campaigner Amina Chifupa (..Hong Kong Tanzanian inmates say her death resulted from her anti-narcotics campaign...inmates say her husband was/is involved in drug trafficking

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See also: Articles from Lonely Planet's Tanzania

And:   Put "Africa" into Google search at top of this page