DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Tuesday ordered the immediate suspension of four senior police officers to pave way for an investigation into their alleged involvement in a multi-billion-shilling cross-border smuggling network.
A statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communication on Monday night named the suspended officers as Kagera Regional Police Commander Augustine Ollomi and the Kyerwa Officer Commanding District (OCD), Justine Joseph.
The other two were Officer Commanding Criminal Investigation Department (OC-CID) for Kyerwa District Everist Kivuyo and Kyerwa Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Robert Marwa.
The move came amid allegations that senior police officers in Kagera Region were involved in a cross-border smuggling cartel by providing police escorts to smugglers of coffee beans and other items.
Kagera, in northwestern Tanzania bordering Uganda, is among the biggest coffee-growing regions in the east African nation.
"The police officers are being suspended to allow an investigation into their alleged involvement in coffee smuggling activity in Kyerwa District along with other allegations," said the statement.
"President Magufuli has also instructed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Jacob Kingu, and the Inspector General of Police Simon Sirro to ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out and all relevant legal actions are taken if the allegations are proven," said the statement.
The allegations against the senior police officers surfaced on Sunday during Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa's visit to Kyerwa District.
Majaliwa said he had received reports that the Kyerwa OCD was being accused by fellow police officers of personally escorting coffee smugglers to cross the border to neighboring countries. The OCD was not immediately available to respond to the allegations.
"It's very dangerous when the police force itself is involved in escorting coffee smugglers instead of stopping them," Majaliwa said during his visit to Kyerwa District.
Majaliwa said he had also received reports that some dishonest police officers in Kagera Region were colluding with businessmen from a neighboring country to facilitate the smuggling of coffee beans from Tanzania.
Coffee smuggling from Tanzania to neighboring Uganda has been rampant for many years, with criminal networks potentially raking in billions of shillings each year.
Tanzania, which produces mainly Arabica and a bit of Robusta coffee, is Africa's fourth-biggest coffee producer after Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire and Uganda.
Tanzania fetched 154.2 million U.S. dollars in 2016 from coffee exports, down from 162.2 million dollars in 2015, according to Bank of Tanzania data.
In terms of cash crops, coffee is the third-biggest foreign exchange earner in the country after tobacco and cashew nuts.
Kagera Region produces over 12,000 tonnes of coffee each year, with a significant amount of the crop reportedly illegally exported to Uganda due to better prices offered in the neighboring country.
