Rwanda National Police

Four people, who were attempting to smuggle assorted goods into the country were intercepted in Lake Kivu on Monday.

The quartet is Bernadette Nyirabunani, Leonard Ntawuhorakize, Gaspard Harerimana and Sareh Twizerimana.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that the suspects were “attempting to use an illegal landing site.

“Police in Rubavu District had earlier at about 5pm, received information from our informers who also conduct varied businesses in the lake, that a lake had left the Rwandan side to pick some goods at unidentified place, with all owners of goods on board,” CIP Gasasira said.

“The Police station of Nyamyumba kept in touch with the informers and at about 6:45pm, the boat turned up on the shoreline in Rubona Cell, Rushagara Village with all the four people on board as well as assorted goods, which they were smuggling, they were immediately arrested and goods seized,” he added.

The goods including bales of secondhand clothes have since been handed over to Revenue Protection Unit.

“There are specific shores with customs where the business people pass to declare their goods and pay taxes, some do not go through these legal channels but try to use illegal routes with the help of some fishermen, although we are seeing increased response by fishermen themselves reporting such smugglers and even drug traffickers,” the spokesperson explained.