Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) arrested four people, on Friday, April 1, in operations against illegal mining conducted in Kimigenge Village, Kibirizi Cell, Rubengera Sector, Karongi District.

Jean Pierre Uwajeneza, Mathias Ntirenganya, Daniel Muhire and Fabien Ntibera were arrested red-handed in Musogoro stream mining cassiterite using traditional tools.

The Western region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi said that the suspects were reported by local residents.

"Residents in Kibirizi reported groups of people, who conduct illegal mining activities in Musogoro water stream and destroying their farms along the stream. Police responded to the information and the four men found in the stream mining and filtering cassiterite," SP Karekezi said.

He thanked the residents for the community policing act and urged them maintain the spirit against lawlessness.

The suspects and exhibits were handed over to RIB at Rubengera station for further investigation.

Article 54 of the law N? 58/2018 of 13/08/2018 on mining and quarry operations, states that; any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a licence, commits an offence.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Frw1 million and not more than Frw5 million or only one of these penalties.

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a license.