Police in Nyabihu District, on May 17, seized varied brands of contraband and 600 pellets of cannabis that were being trafficked into the country.
Nyabihu District Police Commander (DPC) Superintendent of Police (SP) Alexis Fata, said that acting on information from members of the public, police seized illicit liquor including 384 sachets of Sky Blue, 136 bottles of Africa Waragi and 109 bottle of Living Waragi – all of which are banned substances in Rwanda.
Jacqueline Mukafideri, who was trafficking the psychotropic substances was also arrested and currently held at Mukamira Police station, the DPC said.
“This is one of the deliberate operations conducted with information from the public partners to fight trafficking, use and sell of illicit drugs,” he said.
“Besides being illegal and punishable by the law to traffic, sale or consume these substances, it is also prohibited to import,sell or liquors in sachet or plastic bags and punishable under the law on environmental protection,” he added.
Under the current laws on narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors, “any drink that exceeds 45 per cent of alcohol content or does not have the required quality for consumption, shall be considered as a narcotic drug.”
“The traffickers should be aware that these substances are illegal on the Rwandan territory; the information we have is that they purchase them in neighboring countries but we have adopted several initiatives to track down the dealers and porous borders they use, and with the commendable partnership we have with the community, we have been successful, to say the least, although we have to keep tabs on,” Supt. Fata said.
Under 594 of the penal code, 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 up to five years and a fine of up to Rwf5 million.
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