Tanzanian Government officers arrested in stolen mineral investigation

Senior officers in key government agencies have been arrested as investigators trace missing coltan to an inland depot claims the East African News. A web of theft and corruption involving officials of key agencies and departments in Tanzania’s government working in cahoots with cross-border criminals has been exposed. So far, police have arrested senior officers at the Tanzania Intelligence and Security Services (TISS), the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), Tanzania Minerals Audit Agency (TMAA) and the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) as they investigate how the consignment was stolen in transit from Dar es Salaam port and sent to three privately owned inland container depots (ICDs). The proprietor of a clearing and forwarding company and his assistant, as well as a principal technician geologist, and two other senior officials of private companies have also been arrested. A Congolese national believed to act as the mastermind is now being pursued. One retrieved container had an export permit issued by an officer of the Tanzania Revenue Authority, Mohamed Ahmed Mbuku, showing that the consignment was destined for Romania. At least 11 containers of tagged, conflict-free, iTSCi mineral have been affected by these thefts. More information is available here.