{Separate Police operations conducted in Burera, Nyabihu and Gisagara districts on Wednesday and Thursday led to the seizure of an assortment of smuggled goods and over 3000 litres of a locally made illicit brew commonly known as Muriture, and arrested nine people in connection with the act.}
Muriture is a psychotropic substance made out of mixed burned bricks, water, sugarcane residues, sugar and tea.
The illicit drink was seized in Gisagara, Gitega Cell of Mukindo Sector and 50200 pieces of banned plastic bags, 50 litres of diesel and different types of expired medical drugs. Three people were also arrested in Gisagara in connection with the act.
According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Andre Hakizimana, Police spokesperson for the Southern region, the seized medical drugs were concealed in three bags.
The drugs include fansidar, a malaria drug that was banned in Rwanda.
“After they were seized, we consulted medical experts to verify and we found out that they were both expired and banned in Rwanda about five years ago,” CIP Hakizimana, who warned against dealing in such hazardous drugs, said.
Rwanda National Police, last year, created a specialised ‘Anti-Counterfeit and Illegal Pharmaceutical Unit’ to respond and effectively to curb such crimes.
Since 2008, RNP participated in Interpol led operations dubbed Mamba (2008), Wipe Out (June 2014) and Opson-Fagia in which counterfeit and illegal pharmaceuticals were seized.
In Burera, about ten dozens of smuggled Novida and Coca-Cola, clothes including trousers, shirts and Kitenge, a traditional wear, were intercepted at a police snap checkpoint in Cyanika Sector.
In Nyabihu, a vehicle Toyota omnibus registration number RAC 618P was intercepted in Mukamira Sector loaded with 432 pieces of lotions also banned in Rwanda. Three alleged owners, who were on board at the time, were also taken into custody.
The District Police Commander of Nyabihu, Supt. Alex Fata said they were tipped off before the vehicle arrived.
“On June 2, at about 4:30pm, we received a phone call from an informant, who informed us that he had suspicions over the luggage he saw being transported; the vehicle was stopped and searched at a checkpoint and we recovered 108 bottles of Elegance, 24 pieces of carolight, 300 pieces of Diproson and 19 bottles of Hennessy,” Supt. Fata explained.
Elegance, carolight and diproson are all bleaching agents banned in Rwanda.
“We have strengthened operations against such harmful and banned lotion and we have, in most cases, been successful because the people themselves have owned this campaign and they give us information,” he added.
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