Tanzania’s Tourism Police: The Unseen Force Securing the Nation’s Treasure Trove

MONDAY December 22, 2025

By Patty Magubira

The Tranquility News Reporter, Tanzania

As Tanzania solidifies its reputation as one of Africa’s premier tourist destinations, an elite and highly specialised unit of the Police Force is working diligently behind the scenes to ensure tourist safety.

The Tourism and Diplomatic Police Unit, based in Arusha and led by Superintendent of Police Waziri Ibrahim Tenga, has become a key pillar of the country’s tourism industry, moving beyond simple law enforcement to offer a full-service security and diplomatic assurance for tourists.

“The Police Force has a special unit tailor-made for serving tourists,” explains SP Tenga. “This unit has received training from various countries to build the capacity of police officers, and as a result, the security of tourists and tourism service providers continues improving in the country. Crime has been controlled.”

The unit’s approach is notably proactive, prioritising the safety of tourists even before they set foot in Tanzania. The team collaborates with various embassies to gather advance information on their visiting nationals.

Crucially, tourists can also send information directly via the unit’s website or email, especially to verify their travel agents.

“We verify whether the travel agents are registered to ensure the safety and security of the tourist’s trip,” SP Tenga notes. This pre-emptive action has significantly reduced the number of challenges tourists face upon arrival.

Once a tourist arrives, the unit’s presence is immediately felt. Police officers are stationed at airports to resolve issues quickly, allowing the tourists to continue with their itineraries while any pending challenge is resolved.

The security extends to ongoing protection within the country, including regular escorts for tourist vans.

Specific checkpoints are designed to allow tourists to report any challenge, such as losing travel documents or reporting driver misconduct.

The unit’s experts monitor social media trends during online patrols to detect potential crime clues or problematic areas, gathering crucial intelligence.

In cases of lost travel documents, the unit’s collaboration is swift. After a report, they contact the relevant embassy to prepare temporary documents, ensuring the tourist’s journey is not unduly interrupted.

Superintendent Tenga recalls that a significant past challenge was sophisticated fraud. Scammers would register fake companies, like one posing as a car rental service, using websites with attractive imagery but directing payments to non-Tanzanian bank accounts.

“Experts do not stop at detecting fraud alone,” Tenga states. “They contact the police of the relevant country. As a result, many suspects have been apprehended.”

The unit is also trained in handling cases of tourists who try to fabricate incidents to claim insurance back home. It has discouraged the deceptive behaviour by opening a full investigation and, if necessary, involving the tourist’s embassy.

“The consequences of giving a tourist a loss report is declaring that our country is not safe and our people are thieves,” he says, highlighting the unit’s commitment to protecting the nation’s image.

We verify whether the travel agents are registered to ensure the safety and security of the tourist’s trip,” Superintendent of Police Waziri Ibrahim Tenga, Head of Tanzania’s Tourism and Diplomatic Police Unit.

The advent of the internet has also changed the security landscape. While technology has eliminated the need for “flycatchers”—urban youth who used to engage with tourists for tips—it has brought new challenges, such as the need for regulating short-term rentals.

In Arusha, the unit maintains a map of registered AirBnBs and conducts regular patrols. They hold meetings with operators and collaborate with local authorities, Immigration, and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) to ensure these accommodations are safe and legally compliant.

A 24-Hour Future

Looking ahead, the unit is developing a work plan for One Stop Centres specifically for tourists. These centres would operate 24 hours a day, consolidating services from Immigration and the Police Force to process temporary travel documents and loss reports efficiently.

“If we work 24 hours a day and our networks are interconnected, the visitor can get his or her documents where he or she is,” Tenga explains, noting the importance of avoiding interruptions to a safari itinerary.

“Imagine a visitor has lost his or her documents in Tarangire and needs to go to Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Interrupting the trip to get the documents is a waste of time.”

The unit’s efforts are being recognised internationally. Envoys from countries including the United States, Germany, Kenya, and Uganda have visited it to express appreciation, often citing feedback from their citizens who were served while in trouble.

Superintendent Tenga remains passionate about the unit’s mission, emphasizing that the hospitality of Tanzanians—a culture where a person might escort a tourist for free—is just as important as the police work.

“It is good for our citizens to recognise their trivial deeds that attract tourists so that they can continue doing them because that is what makes Tanzania a unique destination”Ω