Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) has warned of increased operations against people involved in illegal money exchange.

In an operation conducted on Sunday at Petite Barriere, a border with DR Congo in Gisenyi town of Rubavu District, Police arrested four women running black currency exchange business.

They are Jeannette Uwineza, 39, who was found with Rwf212, 500 and 5000 Congolese currency;  Félicité Uwimana, 31, with 158, 650 Congolese money; Vestine Zaninka, 32, found with 61, 550 Congolese currency and Angelique Mukandutiye, 38, who was found with  Rwf232, 000 and 374, 900 Congolese money.

The Police spokesperson for the Western region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, said: “The four women were arrested in a Police operation against currency trade on black market, which is continuous.”

The  2013 regulations governing foreign exchange bureaus stipulates in article 3 that no person shall carry out or purport to carry out a foreign exchange bureau in Rwanda unless he or she is licensed by the Central Bank in accordance with this regulation.

 “These operations are in line with the implementation of the law and to protect other legal currency businesses. This is illegal trade, they don’t pay taxes, rent and other required levies and can defraud people; this is why everyone has to stand up against them,” CIP Gasasira said.

Article 223 of the penal code states that any person who, by any means, illegally sells or exchanges, national or foreign currency, commits an offence

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than six months and not more than two years or a fine of not less than Rwf200,000 and not more than Rwf3 million, or only one of these penalties.