Easy Passage: The Porous Border Dilemma

Recent reports reveal a sophisticated cross-border phone theft syndicate operating from Kenya, trafficking stolen devices to black markets in Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. According to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), phones are stolen, reformatted, and smuggled across porous East African borders, often reaching other capitals within days. The syndicate has operated for years, with similar patterns documented in 2023–2024, including shipments to Dar es Salaam.

This is just a sign of a much bigger problem. According to researchers with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, many gaps facilitate crime, the largest being porous borders. Other contributing factors include underfunded law enforcement and government corruption.

Crackdowns along established drug corridors in Eastern Europe have prompted trafficking networks to reroute heroin and synthetic substances through Africa. As a result, East Africa now features prominently in the Southern Route, with consignments entering the continent through major Indian Ocean ports in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and South Africa.

Tanzania lies on the “Southern Route” for heroin and methamphetamine from Southwest Asia, with ports like Dar es Salaam serving as entry points before onward shipment to Europe or local distribution. Porous borders exacerbate this, with cannabis (bhang) cultivated in regions like Tarime and smuggled via boats to Kenyan islands or Ugandan shores on Lake Victoria. Seizures include 300 kg in 2021 from Tanzanian boats and multiple arrests of Tanzanians on Kenyan islands with consignments worth up to KES 500,000. Corruption and location along major routes deny TCOs tens of millions in revenue, but challenges persist, as evidenced by the 2023 seizure of the largest drug haul in Tanzania’s history.

Tanzania has made strides, including amending anti-trafficking laws, establishing specialised units, and increasing funding for the Anti-Trafficking Secretariat.

In 2023, the government amended the 2008 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act to eliminate lenient sentencing options, such as fines in place of imprisonment, and to ensure harsher penalties for perpetrators. This was complemented by the establishment of specialised anti-trafficking units on both the mainland and in Zanzibar, where the law was finally operationalised in 2025, with permanent staff assigned to the Anti-Trafficking Secretariat. Funding for these efforts surged, with significant allocations in the 2025 federal budget supporting shelter construction, victim referral systems, and the implementation of the 2021-2024 National Action Plan. However, concerns arose when the plan expired in 2024 without immediate renewal, prompting calls for a refreshed strategy to counter increasingly tech-savvy traffickers.

Collaborations with international bodies, such as the International Organisation for Migration, have led to the development of Standard Operating Procedures for protecting trafficked children, emphasising screening at entry points like Malindi Port and ensuring social workers assist in victim identification and support. Enforcement has been bolstered by suspending corrupt officials and through informal coordination with Malawi and Mozambique for cross-border prosecutions.

On the drug smuggling front, the government has intensified maritime and border patrols. A notable 2025 operation intercepted a smuggling vessel carrying narcotics. Earlier, in 2024, the Tanzania Anti-Drug Authority seized over 767 kilograms of illegal drugs, disrupting networks that exploit coastal porosity. Training programs, such as those held in Moshi for immigration officers from the southern corridor, have focused on gender-sensitive and human-rights-based approaches to detecting smuggling and trafficking, equipping personnel with skills to dismantle these operations at one-stop border posts. Broader border governance has involved community engagement, such as empowering village leaders at hotspots like Namanga to report smuggling and addressing informal crossings in districts like Buhigwe.

Another notable step taken to tackle this has been the partnership with the United States of America through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. In 2018, INL’s East Africa Transnational Organised Crime (EATOC) program launched support to address national-level capacity gaps, specifically related to transnational organised crime (TOC) and counternarcotics. INL partners with U.S. Law enforcement, various intergovernmental organisations, and Tanzanian criminal justice authorities. Tanzania also benefits from several regional INL programs intended to bolster regional maritime security coordination mechanisms and national maritime information-sharing centres.

Under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, the country has made remarkable strides in positioning itself as one of Africa’s most compelling investment destinations. Regulatory reforms, including the updated Tanzania Investment Act, the creation of powerful Special Economic Zones such as Bagamoyo Eco Maritime City, and targeted incentives have fueled this momentum. The government now ambitiously targets US$15 billion in annual foreign direct investment alongside sustained 6% economic growth in 2026, building on the foundation of Vision 2025 and laying groundwork for a trillion-dollar economy by mid-century.

Yet even as these achievements inspire optimism, Tanzania’s persistent border porosity casts a long shadow over this vision. These illicit flows not only erode state revenues and distort legitimate markets but also undermine investor confidence. For Tanzania to fully realise its aspirations as a secure, competitive hub attracting sustained foreign capital and thriving trade, combating smuggling and black-market activities must be at the very top of the government’s agenda.