Rwanda National Police

Police in Rutsiro District, on Saturday, October 24, arrested one Olivier Mugisha, 25, with over 2,200 rolls of cannabis.

At the time, Mugisha, who was traveling in a passenger service vehicle, was allegedly trafficking the narcotics to Karongi from Rubavu District, Police said. He was intercepted halfway, in Rutsiro district, Kivumu sector in Kabujenje cell.

The police spokesperson for the western region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi said that the police officers, while in their routine operation, stopped the bus that Mugisha was traveling in, for a usual inspection.

“When they checked a sack that Mugisha had, they found it contained pellets of cannabis. Mugisha was with another lady, who managed to sneak out of the bus during the search, and fled,” CIP Karekezi said.

Mugisha admitted that he got the narcotics from Rubavu District and was on his way to supply other dealers in Karongi District.

The search for his accomplice, the lady, who fled from the scene, is still underway, the spokesperson said.

Mugisha was then handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) for the next legal steps to be taken.

CIP Karekezi said that it is not the first time for suspected drug traffickers to be intercepted along Rubavu-Karongi road, adding that most of them usually use taxi-motos.

He urged people involved in drug trafficking and consumption to quit to be safe from “severe legal consequences” but also to prevent health effects related to consumption of such harmful narcotics.

Cannabis is listed as a "very severe drug" in Rwanda, alongside cocaine, opium and heroin, under the Ministerial Order No. 001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorisation.

In article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, it is stated that anyone convicted for "severe narcotic drugs" faces a life imprisonment and a fine of between Frw20 million and Frw30 million.