Police spokesperson for the Southern Province, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kayigi, said that the suspects; Juvenal Ntivuguruzwa and Silas Habarurema have been on the list of wanted people said to be running a drug trafficking ring.
“It was an operation conducted on Friday night that lasted for about four hours, based on credible information the Police had received,” CIP Kayigi said.
“We first arrested Ntivuguruzwa in Gasoro Cell of Kigoma Sector with five kilogrammes of cannabis, and during interrogation he led officers to the store house in the home of Habarurema in Gatagara cell, Mukingo sector where three sacks weighing 75kgs were also seized and the suspect taken into custody,” he added.
Habarurema is said to be the dealer running a racket of other local retailers including Ntivuguruzwa.
“Police had reinforced operations alongside awareness campaigns against drugs, with the main focus on listing dealers and routes used, which is informing such successful operations,” Kayigi said.
While addressing thousands of residents majority youth, in Rubavu District early this month, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel Gasana said that the force has increased deployments and operations against drug dealer across the country, especially in major identified routes.
Rwanda National Police alongside the ministries of Health, Youth and Local Government, and other security agencies are currently engaged in the nationwide awareness against the vice said to be the major obstacle to youth development.
About 71 percent of over 4100 drug dealers arrested last year were aged between 18 and and 35, according to the Police statistics.
Series of discussions to reinforce efforts against the scourge have also been held separately with owners of hospitality facilities, grassroots leaders in Burera, Rubavu and Kirehe districts, one of the mapped major routes; faith-based organizations and youth groups including former drug dealers.
This comes at the time when the government is revising laws against drugs, with a proposed sentence for drug dealers between 20 years and life sentence, up from a maximum sentence of seven years.
About 18 percent of 4470 crimes registered last year were related to drugs, according to a recently released Police report.
{{SRC:RNP News}}
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