{Rwanda National Police (RNP), on February 8, officially handed over a Range Rover Sport V8 vehicle recovered in Rwanda last year, to the United Kingdom authorities.}
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Tony Kuramba, commissioner for Interpol and Cooperation in RNP, handed over the vehicle and its supporting documents to David Ward, the UK National Crime Agency regional liaison officer.
The posh vehicle stolen in the UK was impounded on February 2, last year at Rusizi border post as it crossed into Rwanda from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Ward said that the car was stolen in the UK in September 2014.
“We got the news of the recovery from Interpol Rwanda that contacted Interpol UK, which in turn informed the liaison office to help investigation in Rwanda,” said Ward.
“There’s a massive problem of stolen vehicles in UK, particularly high range value cars like range rovers, often transported to East Africa. We will carry on with the investigations… stolen vehicles is now are very high priority in the UK and efforts will be made to make East Africa awful for these cars.”
“Rwanda is a little bit different… it [car] was impounded and they quickly notified the UK authorities; it was also well protected by the Rwanda authorities.”
The car which had been given new Congolese logs and plate number CGO 6810AB/22, was found on the Interpol alert list of stolen or missing equipment.
It had been sold to a Congolese businessman at US35, 000 dollars by a Burundian national, who was also arrested shortly before crossing to Burundi.
At the time, the Congolese victim had made a down payment of US25, 000 dollar to the Burundian suspected thief, which was also recovered by RNP and returned to the owner.
“The Congolese purchased it innocently; he could have lost $25000 if Rwanda hadn’t intercepted the thieves as they tried to leave Rwanda, so they did an excellent job.”
The vehicle will be driven to Kampala – Uganda – tomorrow from where it will be repatriated back to the UK, according to Ward.
Reacting on the partnership between UK and Rwanda National Police, Ward said: “We have ongoing good relationship with Rwanda Police,including training and other areas of cooperation.
, we have liaised with them on a number of items of criminal nature. That, I foresee, will be carried on; we will try to make sure that if any other vehicle comes through Rwanda is impounded and repatriated.”
Between February 22 and 23, he revealed, the National Crime Agency along with the British High Commission and Rwanda National Police will hold a child protection workshop in Kigali to introduce the international child protection certificate.
RNP spokesperson, ACP Celestin Twahirwa said that since the force extended the international police communication tool – I-24/7 – to all border posts, it will be “impossible for stolen goods to be transported to or through Rwanda unnoticed.”
The tool connects all law enforcement agencies in Interpol member countries and allows investigators access Interpol’s range of criminal databases to search and cross check data on suspected criminals or wanted persons, stolen and lost travel documents, stolen motor vehicles, fingerprints, DNA profiles, stolen administrative documents and stolen works of art.
With the use of this tool, ACP Twahirwa said at least five vehicles were intercepted last year and returned to the rightful owners in neighbouring countries including Kenya and Uganda.”
“This should send a strong message to those who think they can use shortcuts to achieve their illegal benefits have no chances here, it should also be noted that with Interpol global policing approach for a safer world, together we are growing stronger and more effective.” He noted.
At least 20 vehicles stolen from other countries have been recovered in Rwanda in the last three years and repatriated back to countries of origin.
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