Four people including the driver of the bus, plate number RAD 589J, were arrested in Sunday’s incident.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson of Northern region, said that the bus was headed to Kigali from Musanze District when it was stopped at around 4pm in Bushaki Sector.
He identified the suspects as Dieudonne Nsabimana (driver), Radjabu Muvandimwe, Issa Tuyisenge and Sharuma Mugabe. The bus was also impounded.
“There was information that some of the passengers aboard this bus were drug traffickers. According to credible information we received, these traffickers had a load of cannabis on the same vehicle, the bus was stopped in Rulindo, searched and found 576 pellets of cannabis,” CIP Rugigana said.
“It is suspected that the driver had connived with the traffickers to transport their illegal luggage to Kigali, but the matter has been handed over to RIB [Rwanda Investigation Bureau] to establish the circumstances surrounding the whole criminal act,” CIP Rugigana said.
He commended the increased information sharing between the Police and the public in breaking chains of drug supply.
In a related operation, Police in Nyabihu District also arrested another drug dealers identified as Norbert Mujyarugamba.
Mujyarugamba, who was arrested in Mukamira Taxi Park, was found in possession of 3500 pellets of cannabis.
CIP Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Mujyarugamba was attempting to board a Ngororero-bound commuter.
“Casual workers in the taxi-park, who were loading luggage on the public service vehicle, realized that Mujyarugamba’s luggage were cannabis, and they immediately called the Police, on searching the luggage in question officers found 3500 pellets of cannabis. The suspect was immediately taken into custody,” CIP Gasasira explained.
He thanked the casual laborers for their responsiveness against wrongdoers.
Under article 263 of penal code, any person who unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offence. Upon conviction, he or she is liable to between 20 years and life imprisonment, and a fine between Rwf15 million and Rwf30 million.
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