POLICE have uncovered substantial tonnage of construction materials presumably grabbed from various public firms stored at a building materials factory at Mkuranga, Coast Region.

ACP Protus Mutayoba, the Rufiji special police zone commander, said at a press conference also addressed by Regional Commissioner Abubakar Kunenge, that the materials include cables from the Tanzania Telecommunications Co. Ltd (TTCL), the Tanzania Electric Supply Co. Ltd (Tanesco), the Dar es Salaam Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (DAWASA), and the Tanzania Railways Corporation (TRC).

The stolen infrastructure was hidden at the LN Features factory in the area, with the seizure being the result of a task force initiative by the regional secretariat to monitor sabotage on infrastructure and building materials.

The RC said the task force was formed to curb the destruction of infrastructure impacting various government institutions, noting that some individuals betray the government by sabotaging infrastructure that supports essential services.

Despite the government's ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure, certain individuals were bent on damaging the progress made, he said.

"We will not tolerate anyone seeking to reverse the country's progress; we will track down and identify those responsible for the thefts," he stated.

Coast Region was emerging a leader in industrial investment and will not allow investors who hinder the government's efforts, he said, noting that the stolen infrastructure was collected from various locations.

He urged that similar operations be conducted in other areas to curb the illegal trade, with the RPC noting that the operation began on November 21 and has been ongoing. 

Several suspects have been arrested, with some already brought to court, he said, while Lenin Kiobya, the Tanesco security services manager, highlighted the rise in copper theft, causing significant damage to transformers. 

From June to December 2023, 33 transformers were damaged, 21 of them in Mkuranga District, he said, elaborating that the price of copper has surged, rising from 10,000/- per kilogram to 30,000/-.

In border areas the asking price goes as high as 100,000/-o per kilo, thus fuelling the growth of the illicit trade, he stated, affirming that since the operation began, no new transformer damage has been reported.

There is need for legislation to prevent traders from purchasing stolen government infrastructure, he said, expressing the view that this would help end the trade and eliminate damage to public infrastructure.

The seized infrastructure includes transformer cables, parts used by DAWASA, materials from TRC, TTCL and copper from Tanesco, he added.