DAR ES SALAAM, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police said on Wednesday they have discovered seven hectares of cannabis and arrested five suspects in connection with the cultivation of the cannabis.

Mtatiro Kitinkwi, the Lindi regional police commander, said the farms were discovered on Tuesday evening in an anti-narcotics crackdown conducted in Mangalanganda forest in Namkongo village in the country's southern region.

Kitinkwi told a news conference that the five suspects were reportedly owners of four cannabis farms in the forest.

"Police launched the crackdown after villagers provided information on the cultivation of the cannabis," he said, adding that one of the suspects was found in possession of a rifle.

Kitinkwi said police also found a number of plastics bags with dried cannabis in some parts of the forest.

In June 2020, police discovered about 100 hectares of cannabis in Morogoro region's five villages and arrested 12 suspects. - Xinhua