{A suspected drug trafficker was arrested on May 2 in Gatsibo District in a Police operation facilitated by area residents. }
Pierre Ntegeyiryo was found in possession of 25 boxes of Chief Waragi, a banned gin in Rwanda, which is also considered as narcotic drug under the Rwandan laws.
The law governing narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in Rwanda, in its Article 24, also states that “any drink that exceeds forty five percent of alcohol and any other drink which doesn’t have the required quality for consumption shall be considered as narcotic drug.”
Article 594 of the Rwandan penal code, stipulates that, any person who, unlawfully, makes, transforms, imports, or sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within the country, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of Rwf500,000 to Rwf5 million.
Inspector of Police (IP) Emmanuel Kayigi, Police spokesperson for the Eastern region said that the boxes of illicit drugs were recovered from the suspect’s house.
“We received information from an area resident about Ntegeyiryo’s illegal business. When Police officers in Gatsibo went to his house, they found 25 boxes of chief waragi, and consequently arrested him,” IP Kayigi said.
According to Kayigi, the suspect’s house was also being used as a store for other drug dealers, who are still at large.
He thanked Gatsibo residents who provided information that led to the arrest and urged everyone to play an active role to fight such drug trade and consumption and other crimes by providing timely information on those involved.
Rwanda National Police pursues community policing as an effective tool to fight and prevent crimes through joint effort with the general population and other public and private institutions.
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