Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) in collaboration with other security organs and prosecution have disposed of over 188kgs of cannabis, which were seized from three major drug dears recently in Nyamasheke District.

The public destruction exercise was held on Friday, August 27, in Kacyiru Village, Ntendezi Cell, Ruharambuga Sector in Nyamasheke District.

The three drug dealers identified as Olivier Karangwa, Gideon Niyomugabo and Silas Bizimana were convicted and sentences to 25 years in prison.

Karangwa was arrested on May 6, in Save Cell, Ruharambuga Sector with seven sacks of cannabis. At the time, he was loading them in a Kigali-bound charcoal truck.

Bizimana and Niyomugabo were also arrested separately in Bushenge sector in May, with 23 and 300 pellets of cannabis, respectively.

Nyamasheke District Police Commander (DPC), Superintendent of Police (SP) Roger Muhodari commended the role of the residents in identifying drug dealers and breaking chains of supply through sharing credible information.

"Karangwa, Bizimana and Niyomugabo were known big drug dealers and suppliers. Police had been working with the people to arrest them red-handed and we thank the residents for making that happen. Karangwa, for example, was trying to cover seven sacks of cannabis with charcoal to traffic them to Kigali but this time luck was not on his side. You might think that you managed to beat security today but tomorrow is another day," SP Muhodari said.

Adolphe Kanamugire, the Director of Good Governance for Nyamasheke District urged residents to continue sharing information with the Police on drug dealers operating in their communities or transiting.

Gilbert Kamarade, a prosecutor in Nyamasheke district explained to the public that the Rwandan laws do not tolerate anyone engaged in drug related crimes.

Cannabis is classified as a very severe narcotic drug in Rwanda with a sentence of between 25 years and life imprisonment and a fine of between Frw20 million and Frw30 million.