{{Police in Gatsibo District has destroyed over five tones of the valuable Kabaruka Plant ({asiris lauceolata}) which were seized in various operations.}}
Kabaruka Plant is vital in the processing of chemicals used in the production of perfumes. The Plant is on high demand in neighbouring Uganda.
In Rwanda Kabaruka is vastly grown in the Eastern province and other parts of the country.
This has led to an increased illegal harvest of the plant that is later smuggled to Uganda where it fetches a fortune.
On April 2 , over 5550 Kgs of the Kabaruka stem were burnt at at Kabarore Police Station in Gatsibo.
The stems and roots of the Kabaruka plant were seized in several Police operations in collaboration with the area residents.
According to the District Police Commander Supt. Pierre Tebuka, due to the high value of the plant, smugglers dig the trees from the ground and chop them for easy transportation.
Meanwhile, a kilogram is costs Frw2000 in Rwanda and fetches Frw5000 in Uganda.
In some instances, smugglers transport their loot on motorcycles during night hours when Traffic Police check points are limited on the roads.
Supt. Tebuka said, “The reason we burn them is to dissuade those who deal in them so that they may not repeat. We don’t sell them because it can just accelerate the crime.”
Mr. Yonas Mwiseneza the District Environment Officer present at the destruction of the Kabaruka stems said;
“The harvesting of Kabaruka trees is illegal because they are among the endangered plant species. They were set apart as trees that should not be harvested whatsoever with other trees like imiguruka scientifically called megarocarpus flaxinofolius.”
When found guilty, the suspects risk a punishment of imprisonment of between six months and 2 years and or a fine of between Frw300,000 and Frw 2 Million.
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