Rwanda National Police

The ongoing operations by the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU) against drug trafficking rings led to the arrest of three people on Saturday in Rubavu District, with varied consignments of cannabis.

Two suspects; a mother identified as Consolée Mwavita and her daughter Hadidja Vumiliya Nyiragaju, were arrested in Byahi Cell, Rubavu  Sector with 3500 rolls of cannabis.

The third suspect named Etienne Manizabayo was arrested in Rukoko Cell also in Rubavu Sector with 18kgs of cannabis.

The suspects had just sneaked the narcotics into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said.

“The Anti-Narcotics Unit, based on credible information from members of the public, arrested Vumiliya, who traffics cannabis from DRC. Her mother was an accomplice because she was hiding the daughter’s narcotics in her house, which was being used as store,” CIP Kayigi said.

It is said that Vumiliya had brought the 3500 pellets earlier that day.

Another suspect; Etienne Manizabayo was arrested at an illegal border as he crossed into Rwanda from DRC, with the 18kgs of cannabis, the spokesperson said.

“The Rwanda National Police successful operations are largely facilitated by information we get from the public. We urge communities, especially those residing on borderlines to be responsive and work with the Police against such traffickers to break chains of supply.”
“Effective response against drug trafficking chains requires individual and collective ownership where we walk or live; drug dealers either operate in our communities or use neighborhoods as transit routes. We have to work together and deny them any space to operate by identifying and reporting those involved, so that they can face justice,” CIP Kayigi said.

According to article 263 of the penal code, any person convicted as a “major drug dealer” faces between 20 years and life in prison.