Rwanda National Police

Police in Rubavu District has recovered assorted smuggled goods including liquors, from the house of a suspected smuggler in Gisenyi Sector, Bugoyi Cell.

This was during an operation conducted on Thursday, August 13, facilitated by information provided by residents.

The house belongs to one Asia Nyiransengiyumva, 32, the alleged smuggler, who was also taken into custody. 

The goods were sneaked into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo, through illegal border points, Police said. 

According to the Revenue Protection Unit (RPU), the smuggler had evaded  taxes worth over Rwf2.8 million.

The seized smuggled goods include ten boxes of Chivas, seven boxes of Black Label, Seven boxes of Hennessy, seven boxes of Ballantine and five boxes of Jameson

Others include two boxes of John Walker, four boxes of Gordon’s, 34 boxes of Cellar cask, 12 bottles of Amarula, 24 bottles of Red Label, 18 cartons of Drostdy Hof and 24 tins of Nido, a powdered milk.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson of the Western region, said that an informer called RPU reporting the fraud that Nyiransengiyumva was involved in, and specifically mentioned that the goods were in her house.

"Indeed, RPU found the said smuggled goods in her house. Nyiransengiyumva has a bar, which is supposed to be closed in this period as per the directives to prevent further spread of Coronavirus; instead she was at the time also found operating her bar," CIP Karekezi said. 

He added: "The goods had no stamp normally issued by Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) for tax clearance."

It is said that Nyiransengiyumva smuggled the liquors and other goods back in February and March. 

CIP Karekezi thanked the residents, who reported the fraud.

"Tax evasion is a crime punishable by law, and a setback in an individual's business in form of imprisonment, heavy fines, confiscation and auctioning of the goods."