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A suspected dealer in plastic bags was on January 21, arrested in Bweya Village of Musheyi Cell, Rwempasha Sector in Nyagatare District with over 20,000 pieces of the outlawed non-biodegradable products.
Niyibizi Damascene was arrested following information provided by the residents about his unlawful business.
Chief Inspector of Police(CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, said that Niyibizi was allegedly sneaking the polythene bags into Rwanda from the neighbouring Uganda through porous borders.
"Residents provided information that Niyibizi had brought a new consignment of polythene bags; Police officers searched his house located in Bweya Village where they recovered over 20,000 pieces of plastic bags and took the suspect into custody," CIP Twizeyimana said.
What the law says
Plastic bags are outlawed in Rwanda since 2008.
Article 10 of law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019 relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use and sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items, states that any person, who imports plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to the dispossession of those such items, and to a fine equivalent to ten times the value of those single-use plastic items.
In article 11, a wholesaler of plastic carry bags and single use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Frw700, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
In article 12 of the same legal instrument, a retailer of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Rwf300, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
How plastics bags are trafficked
Following his arrest, Niyibizi disclosed that he works with a group of Ugandan smugglers to sneak the products into Rwanda.
"I contact them (Ugandan nationals) and order for a certain quantity of plastic bags; we meet on the agreed porous border point where I collect them before supplying different traders in Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts," Niyibizi told the Police.
Police cautions
CIP Twizeyimana thanked residents, who reported Niyibizi's acts of environmental degradation, and called for continued partnership and real time information sharing on the unlawful acts.
Negative effects
According to environmental experts, most of plastic items end up in landfills, rivers, lakes, oceans, waterways, and the environment and they do not biodegrade.
According to Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA), single-use plastic items pollute the environment such as blocking water channels and preventing water from penetrating into the soil, affects biodiversity in the water bodies (lakes, rivers etc); clogging water drainage systems and thus triggering flooding, causes air pollution when burnt and aesthetically displeasing when littered on the environment .
The 2017 report on single-use plastics and marine environment by Seas at Risk, an independent non-governmental federation of national and international environmental organizations for the protection and restoration of the marine environment confirmed that many marine bio-diversities such as fish and birds die from consuming plastic items.
Health effects
Exposure to toxic chemicals coming out of plastic can cause cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity and other health problems, according to health experts.
Role of community policing in environmental protection
CIP Twizeyimana commended the role of the public in fighting trafficking, sell and use of plastic bags.
"We have in the past arrested many other traffickers of plastic bags especially in Nyagatare and Gatsibo districts due to credible information we get from the people. We value this actionable community policing gesture which is crucial in fighting and preventing crimes," the spokesperson said.
On January 20, Police in Gatsibo District arrested another dealer with 1,200 pieces of the banned plastic carry bags.
In December last year, Police in Rwempasha also intercepted another major dealer in plastic bags with 120,000 pieces of the non-biodegradable products.
