Rwanda National Police

Intensified Police operations have arrested at least eight people said to be part of the gang that traffics and supplies cannabis especially in the City of Kigali. 

Police said the suspected drug dealers were arrested separately in the last one week, either in Kigali or on highways as they headed to the capital with varied quantities of cannabis. 

They were paraded to the media at Gikondo Police station on Monday.

One of the suapects, Cyprien Ikishaka told the media that he was the link between major traffickers and local retailers. 

Ikishaka was arrested last Saturday in Nemba Sector of Gakenke District with over 10kgs of cannabis. 

He said he was at the time delivering them to one of his usual clients identified as Claude Nzabandora, who was also taken into custody in Bugesera district the following day with 4kgs and 700 rolls of cannabis.

"This was my second time delivering varied quantities of cannabis to Nzabandora, two other clients were also arrested sometime back. My role was to link traffickers with local retailers; in this specific delivery (10kgs) I was supposed to be paid Rwf240, 000," Ikishaka said.

His accomplice, Nzabandora, also said that he embarked on this criminal business two weeks back.

"I had set a period of four months to be having at least Rwf2 million, in the last few days I have sold 100 pellets which fetched Rwf60000," Nzabandora said.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie Gorett Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that the ongoing crackdown spearheaded by the Rwanda National Police anti-narcotics unit targets mainly those who traffic narcotics into the country and local suppliers. 

"These are chains from traffickers across borders, to local suppliers and retailers; this is the chain were are trying to break, and ultimately kill the local market," CIP Umutesi said. 

He thanked the general for the sharing information that lead to arrest on drug dealers. 

"Almost all these drug dealers and others arrested in the past are identified due to information we get from the people and grassroots leaders, and this chain of partnership and information sharing is effective in compiling list of dealers down in communities," the spokesperson said. 

Anyone convicted as a major drug trafficker faces a sentence of between 20 years an life in prison, under article 263 of the penal code.