Rubavu District is mapped as one of the major drug trafficking routes. As such, efforts have been put in place to break chains of supply mainly from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) using porous borders, including Lake Kivu.In the latest operation conducted on Monday, April 4, Rwanda National Police (RNP) intercepted one of the major drug suppliers in Mizingo Village, Nyamirango Cell, Kanzenze Sector, Rubavu District with a sack containing 5421 pellets of cannabis.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Aphrodis Gashumba, the Distric Police Commander (DPC) for Rubavu, Clementine Umuhoza, one of the members of drug trafficking racket identified, was arrested by the Anti-Narcotic Unit (ANU) due to information provided by a resident.
“Umuhoza was transporting the sack of cannabis from Bugeshi sector to deliver the narcotics to another dealer in Kanzenze sector, but she was being trailed by ANU officers following credible information from a responsive resident,” said SSP Gashumba.
“These are fruits of strong partnership with the people and grassroots leaders, who share names of dealers, routes and tricks used in trafficking, and houses used as stores,” SSP Gashumba added.
This strong partnership, he added, has led to the arrest of 13 suspected major drug traffickers in Rubavu between January and March this year, with combined 51kgs of cannabis.
All of the 13 drug dealers, some of them currently serving their sentences or pending court process, were arrested in Rugerero sector.
Rugerero, Gisenyi, Bugeshi and Busasamana are identified as main transit routes due to their strategic location on the borderline with the DRC.
The DPC called upon communities especially those residing on borderlines, to give no room for drug trafficking groups or individuals that try to use their villages as transit routes, stores or destination.
“If you know any person dealing in drugs in Rubavu District, call the Police on 112 (toll free line), 0788311149 and 0788380235,” SSP Gashumba emphasized.
Cannabis is classified as a “very severe narcotic drug” in Rwanda with liability to between 20 years and life imprisonment and a fine of between Frw20 million and Frw30 million.(End).