42 drug traffickers arrested in Eastern Province
Police recently mapped the Eastern Province as one of the major transit route for drug traffickers.
Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday paraded 42 people in Kayonza District, who were arrested separately in the Eastern Province in connection with either trafficking, making, selling or using narcotic and illicit drugs.
The seized substances worth Rwf42 million included 705 kilograms of cannabis, 62 jerrycans of Kanyanga and over 100 carton of chief waragi, both illicit drinks.
‎The suspects were arrested separately in increased operations conducted in the past one month in the six districts, Bugesera exclusive.
Police also impounded two vehicles that were intercepted loaded with narcotic drugs.
Parading the suspects before the media was intended to further discourage the public from trafficking, selling and consuming such narcotics and illicit substances, Police said.
Police recently mapped the Eastern Province as one of the major transit route for drug traffickers to Kigali which prompted targeted crackdown operations.
Most of the arrested suspects claim that they sneaked the substance into the country from either Tanzania or Uganda.
One of the suspects, Solomon Maniraguha said he used to acquire cannabis from a man called Jackson from Tanzania at Rwf 4,4 000 per kilogram.
“I knew what I was dealing in was illegal and now I have lost all that I had. I regret having involved myself in this operation and call on anyone who is still involved in this business to abandon it not only because‎ it’s illegal but a wastage of time and money on dangerous substances,” Maniraguha ‎said.
Another suspect, Jean Pierre Kanyoni confessed that for a while he was smuggling zebra waragi, an illicit gin, from Uganda.
“I thought I was making quick and easy money but I end up losing way more money that I had before I joined this business. I am a family man who has responsibilities which means I have wrecked my family over my illegal practices. I want to discourage anyone doing this business to quit while they can,†said Kanyoni.
Since this year began, police in eastern province have recorded 1556 cases of drug abuse and trafficking whose case files were forwarded to prosecution.
Most of the arrests were partly due to public tip off which the police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Celestin Twahirwa commended.
“We want the public to take a major role in fighting drug trafficking and consumption; we are not proud of arresting people that is why we embark on sensitization,†said ACP Twahirwa.
He said the operations will continue, not only in the Eastern but the whole country in mapped places‎, with the fully support of the public are confident we shall achieve the objective of the fight.
