Rwanda National Police

Police in Bugesera district has recovered a house of an area resident filled with stumps of a local plant commonly known as kabaruka or umushikiri, which was cut illegally in a forest in Bugesera.

Police is also still searching for the main suspect, Celestin Ntagungira, 35, the owner of the house located in Kibungo cell of Ntarama sector, who fled after learning that area residents had reported him to police over the illegal act.

Cutting of trees is considered a threat to the environment and is a crime punishable by the law in Rwanda.

The government of Rwanda instead emphasises and promotes tree planting, a reason why an annual week of planting trees was set aside and made a normamong Rwandans to protect the environment.

The Rwanda National Police has so far planted 300 hectares of trees in different parts of the country and conducts awareness campaigns aimed at educating Rwandans the value of protecting the environment and to take the forefront in protecting it and report those involved in environmental-related crimes.

Meanwhile, Police in Nyamata sector also confiscated crates of a Burundi-made beer called Amstel which was smuggled into the country through illegal borders in Bugesera.

Three people, two of them women, were arrested in connection with the illegal act.

The seized beers were handed to Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).
Senior Superintendent Bénoit Nsengiyumva, Police spokesperson for the Eastern region warned members against felling trees illegally.

“Felling or trafficking of trees is illegal and punishable by the law. We will therefore continue to apprehend all those who vehemently continue to break the law, to face justice,” SSp Nsengiyumva warned.

He appealed to Rwandans to continue with the usual active cooperation so that such individuals are arrested and to protect the environment.