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Kinyarwanda
Police and a community night patrol in Burera District have foiled an attempt by a group of drug traffickers that call itself Abaremembetsi, who had attempted to traffic large quantities of contrabands into the country.
During the operation conducted on October 25, Police recovered at least 35 sacks of Blue Sky—a gin classified as psychotropic substance in Rwanda—hidden in the garden in Nyarutosho Village, Kamanyana Cell in Cyanika Sector.
“At about 5am on Thursday, Irondo personnel (community night patrol) in Nyarutosho Village saw a group of over 30 people carrying luggage and they trailed them to the bush where they hid them,” Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alex Rugigana, Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said.
“They immediately called Police at Cyanika Police station, officers were deployed unfortunately the drug traffickers had fled the scene when they arrived. The officers recovered 21600 sachets of Blue Sky concealed in 35 sacks,” he added.
CIP Rugigana, however, said that some of the members of this drug trafficking ring have been identified, and that “an operation for their arrest continues.”
The contrabands valued at about Rwf6.4 million had been sneaked into the country through an illegal border in Cyanika Sector, he said.
“The strengthened Irondo patrols and the creation of anti-drugs clubs by residents of Burera and Gicumbi districts have played an important part in identifying and breaking drug trafficking rings, and increased seizure contrabands,” CIP Rugigana said.
The two districts which lie at the border with Uganda have been mapped as major drug trafficking routes especially for banned gins in various brands.
As a result, residents in all sectors of the two districts formed anti-drugs clubs through which they have taken measures to reinforce Rwanda National Police (RNP) and national efforts against the vice.
The government increased the penalty to life in prison to any person who, unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, under article 163 of the new penal code.
