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Kinyarwanda
Rwanda National Police intensified its anti-drugs operation, on February 13, 2015, with the arrest of three people at Kigali International Airport with about 13.5 kilogrammes of cocaine roughly valued at Rwf702 million.
The suspects include two women identified as Cecile Mukarukundo and Sammy Uwimana holding Belgian passports, who were arrested upon arrival in Kigali from Entebbe in Uganda.
The third suspect, who is the husband of one of the women, was arrested later that evening while he waited for them in the airport parking lot.
They are currently detained at Kicukiro Police station as investigations continue.
Police Spokesperson Chief Supt. Celestin Twahirwa said that Police had earlier received information about the two women indicating that they could be trafficking cocaine.
CSP Twahirwa said: “They arrived at the airport at 11:30pm. When police officers searched them they recovered 27 packets of coffee, in which the drug were concealed.”
He added: “Rwanda can never be a transit, destination or safe haven for drug traffickers and other criminals, and we will continue to work with regional and international Police organizations to combat such cross-border crimes. The safety and security that Rwanda is enjoying today should not be interpreted as a cover for wrongdoers.”
He called upon the public to always provide timely and reliable information about any suspicious people and activities.
RNP has since last year intercepted about 24kg of cocaine at Kigali International Airport.
Previously, RNP arrested four people on different occasion at Kigali International Airport with 10.7 kilogrammes of cocaine.
They include a Ugandan holding a British passport, who was arrested in August with 1kg, two Rwandans holding Belgian passports who had 7.4kg, who were intercepted in last November and a Kenyan woman who was arrested last month with 2.3kg.
Under article 594 of the Rwandan penal code, anyone caught in this act faces a term of imprisonment between six and ten years and a fine of Rwf1 million to Rwf10 million.
