By The Arusha News Reporter
Police in Arusha have recovered a stolen government ambulance that was allegedly being converted into a safari vehicle for tourists. Four suspects are helping with investigations.
The vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser owned by the Musoma Municipal Council, was reported stolen late last year from Musoma in Mara Region. According to police, the ambulance was later traced to Arusha, where it was found undergoing extensive modification intended to change its original use as an emergency service medical vehicle.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicle was stolen and later transported to Arusha, where it was being modified illegally for commercial purposes,” police said.
The police further said the ambulance had already been stripped off its emergency medical equipment and identification markings and was in the final stages of being refitted for private commercial use at the time it was recovered.
Authorities expressed concern over the illegal repurposing of public-service vehicles, noting that the ambulance had been acquired using public funds to serve patients in Musoma.
Police warned vehicle garages, tour operators, and dealers against accepting or modifying vehicles without verifying their ownership and registration documents, stressing that anyone found facilitating such offences would face legal action.
The recovered ambulance has been secured as an exhibit, while investigations continue to establish whether other individuals or workshops were involved in the theft and attempted conversion. It was not immediately clear as to when the suspects would be arraigned.
