Police in Nyamasheke District is holding two men, who were arrested following investigations into the spate of vandalizing and stealing prepaid electricity meters – cashpower – from houses in Karongi District.
The suspects identified as Alexis Bikorimana, 36, and Vencent Habimana, 27, were apprehended on January 5 in Rubina Village of Nyarusange Cell in Kirimbi Sector.
The District Police Commander of Nyamasheke, Supt Burahinda Ntacy said that the arrest of the duo followed investigations into separate theft in the neighbouring Karongi where five prepaid meters were stolen in a space of at least one week.
All the electricity meters were stolen from houses in Kanyinya Village of Ngoma Cell in Nyarusange sector in Karongi. Also affected in this theft was Ngoma Cell offices.
“When a crime occurs in one district, all neighbouring district police units are in most cases are alerted to ensure that the roaming suspect(s) is arrested or stolen items are intercepted,” Burahinda said.
“In that spirit, we were alerted on the spate of theft of cashpower in the neighbouring DPU of Karongi and during investigations, we arrested Habimana and Bikorimana red-handed as they were looking for the buyer of the fifth meter, which had been stolen the previous day in the same area in Karongi,” he added.
“We have since located and recovered all the five meters, which had been sold and installed on other houses in Nyamasheke. We have also contacted victims through the DPU of Karongi about the recovery of their cashpower.”
Police is also searching a so called technician, who was hacking and manipulating the prepaid electricity meters before installing them on other people’s houses.
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