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Kinyarwanda
Three men identified as Sixbert Kalinijabo, Salez Safari and Tuyishimire have been in Kirebe, Nyamabuye Sector of Muhanga District over alleged illegal mining activities.
The trio was arrested Thursday during in an operation to fight illegal mining and environmental degradation.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, the Police spokesperson for Southern region, said that the suspects were at the time mining cassiterite. They had already mined 2 kilograms of cassiterite, at the time of their arrest, the spokesperson said.
“Residents informed local authorities about the illegal mining activities in Kirebe and the latter called security organs; the three men were arrested red-handed,” CIP Kayigi said.
“Joint operations against environmental degradation and illegal mining activities in particular are continuous. We appeal to the general public to continue facilitating these operations with information on people involved in such unlawful acts,” he added.
Environmental degradation activities also include cutting of trees, bush burning and burning of waste in the garden, illegal mining, and washing of minerals in water bodies or channeling dirty waters into wells, rivers and lakes, and poaching among others.
According to article 438 of the penal code, any person who undertakes illegal research or illegally carries out commercial activities in valuable minerals, shall be liable to imprisonment of six months to one year and a fine of Rwf3 million to Rwf10 million or one of these penalties.
