Rwanda National Police

As the fight against trafficking, distributing and abusing narcotics continues, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) arrested a couple in Rubavu District on Wednesday, January 13, with 2,480 pellets of cannabis.

The arrest of Alice Mureshyankwano, 26, and her husband only identified as Ndayisenga, 32, in Rwaza Cell of Rugerero Sector came a day after three other people were also intercepted with 3,450 rolls of cannabis and less than a week after other two people were arrested in the same district with over 1000 pellets of narcotics.

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Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that the couple was at the time carrying the narcotics in a bucket.

They were handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) at Gisenyi station.

“Following information that the couple was engaged in distributing cannabis, ANU working with residents, trailed them until they were arrested red-handed on January 13, at about 9pm carrying 2,000 pellets of cannabis in a bucket. Ndayisenga tried to flee but he was intercepted by residents,” CIP Karekezi said.

During interrogation, CIP Karekezi added, the couple disclosed other two separate houses in Rwaza Village that were being used as stores for narcotics.

“ANU recovered 400 pellets in one house and 80 rolls in another. Law enforcement organs have received more information that the couple was working for a big dealer, who was renting different houses used as stores. The search for this big dealer, whose identities are now known, is still underway,” the spokesperson said.

He observed that such criminal activities also affect families especially in circumstances if the couple is convicted and have to spend many years in prison leaving their children without parental care. The couple has two children

Under article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, anyone convicted for dealing in very severe narcotics faces between 20 years and life in prison and a fine of up to Frw30 million.

The Ministerial Order No. 001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorization classifies cannabis as a "very severe narcotic."