English
Kinyarwanda
Security organs in Rubavu District, on October 7, arrested a suspected drug dealer after he was found in possession of over 2000 pellets of cannabis.
Jonas Habimana was arrested by a night patrol in Rurembo Village of Byahi Cell, Rubavu Sector at about 11pm, Police said.
He had concealed the rolls of cannabis in a jerrycan in the guise of carrying water or cooking oil, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said.
“Security personnel were conducting their routine patrols in Rurembo when they saw Habimana with a jerrycan… he looked apprehensive after seeing them. They stopped him, when they opened the jerrycan they found it was full of pellets of cannabis; he was immediately taken into custody,” CIP Gasasira said.
He had just crossed through an illegal border from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We know that drug traffickers employ many tricks in an attempt to beat security and using jerrycans pretending to be carrying water or cooking oil is one of the unearthed tricks,” he explained.
On several occasions, traffickers have been arrested with narcotics stashed in milk packets and cans, in veils, in groceries like pumpkins, bicycle wheels, wrapped around the body while women guise as carrying a baby or expecting.
Article 263 of the new penal code partly states that “any person who, unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offence, with a sentence ranging from seven years to life in prison, upon conviction, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.
