Eight traders arrested in Tanzania for smuggling gold

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | XINHUA |  Eight traders have been arrested in Tanzania’s northwestern region of Geita in connection with smuggling out of the country an unspecified amount of gold, an official said on Sunday.

Doto Biteko, the Minister for Minerals, announced the arrest of the eight traders in a meeting with small-scale miners at Lwamgasa area in the gold-rich Geita region.

Biteko said the government launched a clampdown on unfaithful gold traders after sells started going down in minerals trading centers.

“The eight traders have been detained helping police in their investigations,” said the minister who declined to mention the amount of gold found in possession of the traders on investigative reasons.

Biteko urged traders to stop buying gold in the streets and instead buy the precious stones in state-run mineral trading centers.

In 2019, Tanzania set up government-controlled minerals trading centers in efforts aimed at curbing illegal exports of gold and other precious minerals.

The trading centers give small-scale miners direct access to a formal, regulated market where they can go and directly trade their gold. ■