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Two people believed to be major suppliers of cannabis in the City of Kigali have been arrested.
One of the suspects, a woman identified as Solange Uwimuhwe, was arrested on Monday night in Muhima Sector of Nyarugenge District following weeks evading arrest.
Police had on November 11, recovered 45, 100 rolls of cannabis in the house of Uwimuhwe located in Gatenga Sector, Kicukiro District prompting her to go into hiding.
Another suspect; Dominique Munyandamutsa was taken into custody on Sunday after the arrest of one of his retailers.
Suspects speak out
Uwimuhwe, a single mother of four, while speaking to the media on Tuesday at Kicukiro Police station, confirmed that she has been in cannabis business for over a year now.
“I am supplied by someone called Alphonse, who brings them from Uganda in most cases at night, and I would also supply to other dealers and retailers in Kigali,” Uwimuhwe said.
“I was previously dealing in cereals until a got introduced to this business [narcotics] more than a year ago by a friend. This is a moment of regret; I can’t be with my children to support them right now, and may be for many years to come. I don’t wish to see anyone in this situation especially parents,” Uwimuhwe said as she pleaded for leniency.
On his hand, Munyandamutsa, who was found with 2, 700 pellets of cannabis at the time of his arrest, said he has been in this criminal business for nearly six months.
“I have since had two deliveries from DR Congo from my supplier called Pascal. I would pay Rwf200, 000 for every delivery, payable after sale. This is a business based on trust but it can go bad if you don’t pay your supplier,” Munyandamutsa narrated.
Pascal alias View is a notorious Rwandan dealer said to be hiding in Goma, DRC and the main supplier for some big dealers in Rwanda.
“Sometimes you think you are going to hit a jackpot and you end up losing the clean little thing you have in your hands. I focused at spending Rwf200, 000 for pellets that will fetch Rwf1, 350, 000 (a pellets goes for Rwf500) but abandoned my legal electronics business,” said Munyandamutsa.
He looked shocked after he was told of the legal repercussions including a likely life imprisonment. “It is my first time to hear of it… you are the first person to tell me; my life is thrown away just like that,” he reckoned.
Under article 263 of the new penal code, anyone convicted of producing, transforming, transporting, storing, giving to another or selling narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances faces a penalty of between 25 years and life in prison and a fine of up to Rwf30 million.
According to Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, the combined 47, 800 rolls of cannabis means poisoning the same number of people particularly the youth.
“Police has strengthened its response in partnership with other institutions. The response is a three-way traffic; enhancing operations especially targeting such traffickers and suppliers, countrywide sensitization to prevent new users and rehabilitating the addicted,” CP Kabera said.
He said the force established the anti-narcotics unit to reinforce its day-to-day operations, and called for continued information sharing on suspected drug dealers.
