Rwanda National Police

Separate police operations conducted in  the districts of Burera and Musanze of Northen Province, in the last three months, seized over 5,300 pellets of cannabis and 230 litres of kanyanga, an illicit crude gin banned in Rwanda.

During the operations conducted jointly with other law enforcement organs and local leaders, they also seized 459 sachets of assorted illicit gin packed in banned plastic bags as well as expired products including food stuff and food flavours, powdered milk, hair products, soft and energy drinks, among others.

The narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and expired products were disposed of on Wednesday, October 28, in a public exercise held in Musanze District, Muhoza sector in Nduruma cell.

Present during the public disposing of include the mayor of Musanze, Jeanine Nuwumuremyi, Chief Prosecutor for Musanze Intermediate Court, Police and RIB officials as well as members of youth volunteers.

Mayor Nuwumuremyi warned the young people against throwing away their future and indulging in criminal activities like drugs.

“You understand that engaging in drug related businesses, you are literary surrendering yourself to be taken to prison, because in one way or another, you will be arrested and you will waste many years in prison,” Nuwumuremyi warned.

She embarked on the role of local leaders in cementing the ideology of community policing and working with law enforcement organs and the people to identify and report suspected drug dealers and wrongdoers in general.

The mayor further issued stern warning to people, who engage minors in criminal activities that they will also face the wrath of the law.

According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, the disposed of products were seized from traffickers and dealers, some of whom were either arrested or fined as the law provides.

“In most cases, dealers in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were using children aged between 13 and 17 to traffic the illegal products from Uganda to Rwanda through porous borders as a way to prevent being detected and arrested,” CIP Rugigana explained.

“It is one thing to deal in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, but it is another to use children in such criminal activities, and penalties are severe,” CIP Rugigana said.

Cannabis and illicit gin are classified as very severe and simple drugs, respectively, 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 specified that anyone convicted for "severe narcotic drugs" faces a life imprisonment and a fine of between Frw20 million and Frw30 million.

In case of simple drugs, the offender faces between seven and ten years in prison, upon conviction, and a fine of between Frw5 million and Frw10 million.

If such acts are performed to a child, the penalty is a life imprisonment and a fine of not more than Frw30 million and not more than Frw50 million.