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Kinyarwanda
A suspected drug trafficker was arrested Saturday in Gatsibo District after Police recovered 17 sacks of Zebra waragi in his house in Ndatemwa Cell, Kiziguro Sector.
Phillipe Ndayishimiye is currently detained at Kabarore Police station.
The Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Theobald Kanamugire said that Police in Gatsibo had earlier received information that the house was being used by traffickers as store.
"At about 12:30 am, Police officers arrived at the house, searched it and recovered zebra waragi concealed in 17 big sacks; the owner of the house was immediately taken into custody," CIP Kanamugire said.
"We have since learnt that the substances belong to one Jean De Dieu Ntawugashira, a resident of Agakomeye Cell also in Kiziguro, who is still at large," he added.
The impact of illicit gin, he said, manifests especially in the young generation as they are sold cheaply and affordable by the youth and students in particular.
He also cited cases where husbands assault their spouses under the influence of such substances that have alcoholic content above the maximum specified percentage in Rwanda.
Every drink with alcoholic content above 45 percent or unknown is by law classified as narcotic drug in Rwanda.
The new penal code increased the penalty for drug trafficking to between 20 years and life in prison.
The increase coupled with enhanced awareness, operations and rehabilitation, are meant to reverse the trend of the crime that largely affect the young people and labourforce.
