English
Kinyarwanda
Police in Burera District has seized about 84 cartons (16, 800 pieces) of banned non-biodegradable plastic bags.
The polythene bags were seized in a police operation conducted in Cyanika Sector, on Sunday.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said that the plastic bags were seized from two women traders identified as Liberathe Nyirazaninka, 27, and Claudine Mukashema, 24, who were en-route to Musanze town in a public vehicle.
“They had concealed the plastic bags underneath the clothes they were wearing which made them seem abnormal in size. When they searched them the police recovered 43 cartons from Nyirazaninka and 41 from Mukashema,” CIP Rugigana said.
Manufacturing, selling and using polythene bags were outlawed in Rwanda in 2008.
CIP Rugigana warned against anyone who traffics, sells and packages goods in plastic bags. “We caution anyone, who in anyway, attempts to deal in polythene bags...it is illegal and punishable by law.”
He advised the public to use alternative packaging bags that are eco-friendly.
“Using plastic bags is a zero-tolerance policy in Rwanda and anyone found in such unlawful acts will be arrested to face the law.”
Plastic bags are a major global issue, blamed for clogging oceans and killing marine life.
Equally, experts say the bags contribute to flooding and prevent crops from growing because rainwater cannot penetrate the soil when it is littered with plastic.
CIP Rugigana further appealed to the public to continue the spirit of partnership, which he said has been instrumental in preventing, detecting, and fighting trafficking and use of polythene bags.
