Rwanda National Police

Police have called upon transporters to be vigilant and take precaution not to facilitate criminality, especially drug dealers.

This is after it came to light that many drug dealers use or see public transport as a reliable means to traffic drugs.

A case in point happened on July 20, when police in Ngororero District arrested a woman suspected drug dealer, who was traveling in a public bus.

The suspect, Fatuma Igihozo, 23, was at the time of arrest found in possession of 4, 000 pellets of cannabis concealed in a sack. She was apparently traveling in a Muhanga-bound bus from Karongi district.

"When she boarded the bus with the suspicious sack, she was spotted by a resident who knew her dealings, and immediately alerted police. Officers stopped the bus shortly after take off, when they opened the sack, they found it was filled with rolls of cannabis," Police Spokesperson for the Western Region, Superintendent Emmanuel Hitayezu, said.

It is said that bus drivers, special hire drivers, commercial motorcyclists and truck drivers are usually exploited or collaborate with drugs traffickers.

"A number of drug traffickers and their narcotics have been intercepted in public and private vehicles, while others intercepted in transit vrhicles. At times, there is a connection between the driver or co-drivers," Supt. Hitayezu said.

“Public transporters need to be more vigilant and watch out for people who want to exploit their services. It is not just drug traffickers, but even those who try to move smuggled or stolen products, or even criminals who are fleeing from justice,” Superintendent Hitayezu said.

Early this month, Police in Karongi District intercepted an assorted equipment that had been stolen from a construction company, but the driver of the vehicle that was hired, out of suspicion, alerted police which led to the recovery and arrest of suspected thieves.

Another incident happened on July 16, when a commercial motorcyclist in Kigali realized that his passenger had paid him using counterfeit money and dragged him to a police station. The suspect was searched by officers, who found him in possession of more counterfeit notes, and was immediately arrested.

“Bus drivers and other motorists should verify the content of packages they are hired to transport and immediately alert police whenever they are suspicious about any passenger. This way, they will facilitate community policing by contributing to the arrest of those involved in illegal and criminal activities.”

However, due to the extensive influence of Community Policing, which was initiated by Rwanda National Police (RNP), many motorists have been vigilant and reached out to law enforcers with information, whenever they are hired to transport suspicious packages.

Generally, RNP has over the years emphasized the importance of community policing in maintaining public safety – and during celebrations to mark its 15 years of existence last month – RNP awarded to best performers in community policing.

RNP also reaches out to motorcyclists with support including donation of motorcycles to various cooperatives  to boost their effective management, as part of its human security initiatives which also supplements  their development activities and strengthen the concept of community policing.