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Kinyarwanda
A man identified as Yotam Sagahutu, 57, was arrested by the Police in Nyabihu District on October 4, in connection with running an illegal distillery as well as producing and selling illicit drinks.
Sagahutu was arrested in Bigogwe sector, Kora Cell with over 1000 litres and an illicit drink locally known as Dunda Ubwonko, which he had already distilled.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi said that Segahutu had turned his home into a distillery producing psychotropic substances.
"After local residents shared information with the Police that Segahutu operates an illegal brewery in his home producing illicit drinks in big quantity, Police went to his home where he was indeed found distilling the substances. He had already distilled over 1000 litres of Dunda Ubwonko, and was at the time waiting for customers, who had made orders," CIP Karekezi said.
He added: "Police also seized varied raw materials, which he was using to distill the substances, including sugar and pakimaya."
"Dunda ubwonko is a drink with unknown alcoholic content, not produced with recommended raw materials, we have seen cases where consumers have turned violent and worse still everything at the production area was so dirty; there was no hygiene even for the storage drums and jerrycans."
He commended the residents, who made it possible to identify and arrest the suspect, destroy his illegal distillery and to impound the psychotropic substances.
Article 263 of the 2018 law determining offences and penalties in general, stipulates that producing, trafficking or selling simple narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances attracts a term of not less than seven years and not more than 10 years in prison, and a fine of not less than Rwf5 million and not more than Rwf10 million.
Alcoholic drinks produced without complying with standards and other laws; and chemical substances whose original intended use had been altered, and used as narcotic drugs are classified under simple narcotic drugs by a 2019 ministerial order establishing the categorization of drugs.
