Rwanda National Police

Rwanda National Police (RNP) has arrested two suspected drug dealers in Rubavu District with 8000 pellets of cannabis.

Jean de Dieu Bunani, 33, and Samson Harerimana 22, were arrested on Wednesday, February 10, in Matovu Cell of Bugeshi Sector with pellets of the very severe drug concealed in two bundles.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said the duo was reported by local residents.

"At about 11:30pm on Wednesday, some residents of Matovu called the Police reporting two people, each carrying a sack, and suspected them to drug dealers.

Police officers were immediately deployed, they intercepted and took the two men into custody after they authenticated that they were indeed carrying two bundles of cannabis, each containing 4000 pellets," CIP Karekezi said.

Origin

Following their arrest, Harerimana and Bunani disclosed two other major suppliers.

They revealed that the bundles of cannabis were sneaked into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through a porous border.

At the time of their arrest, they disclosed, they had just picked the bundles of narcotics from the home of one Bagabo located at a place called Kabuhanga in Bugeshi Sector, and were delivering them to another dealer called Gasore in Busasamana Sector.

According to the two suspects, they had been hired to transport the narcotics from Bugeshi to Busasamana for Frw4,000 each, upon accomplishing the task.

The search for the two suspected major drug dealers (Bagabo and Gasore) is still underway, CIP Karekezi said.

Bugeshi and Busasamana sectors are on the borderline with DR Congo.

The spokesperson thanked local residents for their role in reporting and arresting drug traffickers, which he said it contributes to breaking chains of supply and bringing dealers to justice.

He further urged residents to always report anything suspicious or anyone they suspect to be drug dealers.

"It is the duty of the Police to authenticate such suspicions to determine if one is a drug dealer or transporting narcotic drugs, but it also starts with information," CIP Karekezi said.

The arrest of the duo came few days after another drug trafficker was intercepted in Burera District after crossing from Uganda, with 20kgs of cannabis.

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Cannabis is listed as a “very several drug” under the Ministerial Order No.001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorization.

Under article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, anyone convicted for dealing in “very severe narcotic drugs” faces between 20 years and life in prison and a fine of between Frw20 million Frw30 million.