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Kinyarwanda
The fight against environmental crimes led to the arrest of two people in Nyaruguru District on March 3, for allegedly cutting trees in a gazetted forest.
Police identified the suspects as Damascene Kubwimana and Donat Rukundo.
“They were arrested red-handed felling trees and burning charcoal in a gazetted forest located in Muganza Cell of Muganza Sector,” Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, the Police spokesperson for the Southern region, said.
“The duo is currently detained at Muganza Police station pending further investigations including the size of the affected forest or people involved in the whole illegal act of cutting trees and burning charcoal,” he added.
He warned against any acts of cutting trees especially in protected or gazetted areas, which falls under environmental degradation and punishable by the law.
Article 416 of the penal code seeks to protect plundering of natural resources where it states in part “any person who illegally burns a forest, cuts trees or who causes others to do so or kills animals in classified forests, protected areas and national parks, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine of Rwf300, 000 to Rwf2 million or one of these penalties.”
CIP Kayigi called upon the general public to protect the ecosystem by reporting those who encroach on protected areas such as forests, wetlands and illegal mining activities.
