Rwanda National Police

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) Revenue Protection Unit has reinforced its operations against fraud and smuggling.

In separate operations conducted on Wednesday, RPU intercepted varied quantities in Rubavu, Karongi and Nyagatare districts, including food spices, clothes, shoes and electrical equipment.

At least 200kilogrammes of clothes, 40 kilogrammes of shoes quantities of Salsa tomatoes—tomato paste—were intercepted at Poids Lourd border with Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The owner was trying to beat security to evade taxes. The goods were being smuggled in a vehicle registration number RAB 800D,” Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, the Western region Police spokesperson for the Western Province, said.

Two people were also arrested in connection with this tax evasion.

Other three bales of clothes and shoes, and ten rolls of electric cables were seized at about 1am at a checkpoint in Kamonyi Village, Mucyimba Cell of Rugabano Sector. The goods were also being smuggled in a vehicle loaded with charcoal.

The vehicles have also been impounded as the law specifies.

Under article 199 of the East African Community Management Act, which is also applied in Rwanda, specifies a penalty of US$5000 to a driver found driving a vehicle with smuggled goods while the vehicle and goods are auctioned.

Article 369 of the Penal Code states that a taxpayer guilty of tax evasion shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of between three to six months and a fine equal to the evaded tax.