Rwanda National Police

Psychotropic substances that include illicit gin and other locally made illicit brew were disposed of on Tuesday in Burera District.

The substances valued at over Rwf8.4 million seized in different operations in Burera in the past two months, were poured in separate public exercises conducted in the sectors of Rusarabuye, Butaro, Bungwe, Cyanika and Gahunga.

The poured substances include 1513 litres of crude gin commonly known as kanyanga, and 72480 sachets of illicit gin in different brands such as Chief Waragi, zebra waragi, sky blue, leaving waragi, chase vodka, coffee spirit, host waragi, kitoko and kick waragi.

All these contrabands are classified as narcotics in Rwanda.

Other substance destroyed include locally made illicit brew with various names including umuhuza, Musanze wine, kambuca, umurava and salama wine as well as 8.5kgs of cannabis.

The separate public destruction exercises were presided over by local authorities and security organs, who engaged residents on community policing to forge stronger partnership against drug dealers.

The mayor of Burera, Marie Florence Uwambaje, while addressing residents of Cyanika, shortly after pouring the substances, hinted on illicit drugs, child pregnancies and hygiene the requires urgency and immediate partnership between the people, local leaders and security organs, to address.

“People, who consume these substances, are partly, the one who are involved in inhuman and criminal behaviours of defiling girls and behind teen pregnancies. As parents, communities and local leaders, it lies in the responsibilities of us all to work together to identify such people and report them to security organs,” mayor Uwambaje told the residents.

Uwambaje also urged them to ensure body hygiene and in their homes to prevent diseases that arise out of poor hygiene.

In Rusarabuye, the vice mayor in charge of economic development, Evaliste Habumuremyi and the District Police Commander, Senior Supt. Alex Fata also echoed the same message and urged the residents to be security agents by reporting drug dealers.

Burera is mapped-out as one of the transit routes especially used by drug dealers especially those dealing in banned gins.

The two-month operations follow similar operations conducted last year, which also seized 2918 dozens of contrabands and arrested about 160 dealers in a space of three months.