DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Tanzania's capital Dar es Salaam is one of five major illicit drug gateway cities in Africa,according to a senior Tanzanian customs official.

    Local newspaper The Guardian on Tuesday quoted Customs Commissioner George Lauwo as saying Dar es Salaam joins Lagos, Nairobi, Kinshasa and Cairo as nexus for shipment of illicit drugs.

    "In eastern Africa, most illicit drugs arrive by sea, often concealed in container cargo, through ports in Djibouti, Eritrea and Tanzania," the official told a training workshop of illicit drugs controllers.

    "Ocean-going vessels with consignments of illicit drugs have been anchored in international waters and feed the consignments tosmall supply vessels off the coast of countries in eastern Africa," said Lauwo.

    Tanzanian towns, especially Dar es Salaam, are found playing growing roles in trans-shipment of southwestern and southeastern Asian heroin and South American cocaine destined for South Africa,Europe and United States and trans-shipment of south Asian methaqualone bound for South Africa.

    A total of 6,102 suspects were caught last year in connection with illicit drugs trafficking and dealing in Tanzania. Enditem