Tanzania, May 13 -- Dar es Salaam. Tanzanian authorities have intercepted 66,048 litres of illicit precursor chemicals in a major anti-narcotics operation in Dar es Salaam, exposing what officials describe as a growing trend of criminal networks exploiting industrial chemicals to manufacture illegal drugs.

The April 2026 operation was conducted jointly by the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA), the Government Chemist Laboratory Authority (GCLA) and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

The operation led to the seizure of Cyclohexanone and Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), chemicals widely used in industrial processes but increasingly targeted for diversion into illicit drug production.

DCEA Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said ...