German national among those whose assets will be forfeited in Zanzibar drug trafficking crackdown

Unguja. The Zanzibar Anti-Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (ZADCEA) has announced the confiscation of assets valued at Sh976.05 million, allegedly acquired through drug trafficking.

The property was seized from four suspects believed to have accumulated wealth illegally from drug operations.

ZADCEA Commissioner Colonel Burhani Zuberi Nassoro stated that the seizures were authorized under Section 73 (1) of Zanzibar’s Anti-Drug Control and Enforcement Authority Act, No. 8 of 2021. He addressed the media in Unguja on Monday, detailing the operation.

The individuals involved include Saleh Khamis Baslema of Chukwani and his wife, Gawar Bachi Fakir, whose combined assets of Sh422.126 million, including land, vehicles, and motorcycles, are being seized. In April 2024, the couple also lost assets worth Sh15.3 billion linked to similar allegations.

The third suspect, Mohamed Abdulla Juma, a Tanzanian resident of Michenzani, Unguja, and former senior legal official in the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government, is accused of laundering money for Baslema and his wife. His Sh35 million plot of land has been seized. “Juma was also responsible for smuggling satellite phones used to communicate with Afghan captains who brought drugs into Zanzibar and Tanzania,” Colonel Nassoro said.

A fourth suspect, Andreas Wolfgang Fretz, a German national, faces the forfeiture of assets valued at Sh518.926 million, including a car and two houses. Fretz was arrested on October 17, 2023, following a tip-off about his large-scale marijuana operation in Paje, Southern Unguja, where police discovered advanced planting equipment, marijuana plants, and ready-for-market cannabis.

Colonel Nassoro explained that the decision to seize the assets was made after the suspects failed to report to ZADCEA within a 30-day notice period to provide legitimate income sources.

“The suspects were given 30 days to report to ZADCEA and explain their income or prove lawful ownership of the assets, but they failed to comply,” he said.

Colonel Nassoro affirmed that the Zanzibar government is resolute in its anti-drug fight, prioritizing law enforcement regardless of individuals’ status or nationality.

“We cannot permit drug traffickers to live luxuriously while our youth are affected by drugs. ZADCEA, in partnership with law enforcement, is fully committed to eradicating this threat to our nation,” he added.

He urged the public to support the fight against drug crime in Zanzibar and reminded anyone dissatisfied with the ruling that they may appeal in court within 30 days.

Local residents expressed appreciation for the effort but called for stronger community involvement to completely curb drug-related crime on the island.