Rwanda National Police

A notorious drug dealer identified as Jean Claude Kayiranga, 40, was arrested on Sunday in Musanze District trafficking Blue Sky, a banned illicit gin, which was concealed in 17 sacks. The substances were being trafficked in a vehicle Toyota Hilux (double-cabin) RAC 349T.

The Police spokesperson for the Northern region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana said that the vehicle was intercepted at about 7:30pm in Kaberege Village of Rubindi Cell, Gataraga Sector along Musanze-Rubavu highway.

“Busogo Police station received information from people in Cyanika (Burera District) about this same vehicle they suspected to be transporting illegal goods, a checkpoint was mounted along Musanze-Rubavu highway where the vehicle was intercepted and Kayiranga taken into custody as he tried to flee,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

“The vehicle and the illicit drugs were taken to Busogo Police station, where the suspect is also detained,” he added.

“Kayiranga is one of the notorious drug dealers on the Police list; he mainly traffics illicit gins into the country through porous borders,” the spokesperson explained.

Sky Blue and other contrabands especially those packed in banned plastic bags are classified as narcotics in Rwanda.

The law governing narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in Rwanda, in its Article 24, also states that “any drink that exceeds forty five percent of alcohol and any other drink which doesn't have the required quality for consumption shall be considered as narcotic drug.”

Article 594 of the Rwandan penal code, stipulates that, any person who, unlawfully, makes, transforms, imports, or sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within the country, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of Rwf500,000 to Rwf5 million.

Burera is one of the identified transit route especially for dealers in illicit gin in various brands.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with other institutions is actively involved countrywide awareness campaign alongside other national health response programmes to combat the vice.

The response involves awareness to prevent new drug abusers, rehabilitating addicts as well as arresting and prosecuting dealers.

The rehabilitation is conducted in two phases; first six months of psychological and health rehabilitation, and another six months for vocational training.

The Law Reform Commission is revising the law related to narcotic drugs with view to increase the penalty for trafficking or dealing in narcotic drugs from the current five-year maximum sentence to between 20 years and life sentence.