Police in Kigali have arrested five suspected cannabis dealers and seized 2,952 packets of the drug in a crackdown targeting narcotics trafficking across the capital.
The arrests were made between September 1 and 3 in Nyarugenge and Gasabo districts as the Rwanda National Police Anti-Narcotics Unit stepped up operations against cannabis dealers.
The largest seizure was made in Runda Sector, Kamonyi District, after police arrested Nizeyimana Patient in Nyakabanda Sector, Nyarugenge, with 200 packets of cannabis he was allegedly preparing to sell.
Police said Nizeyimana led investigators to a separate storage location in Runda, where they recovered another 1,000 packets and arrested a person allegedly involved in transporting the drugs.
In a separate operation in Gatsata Sector, Gasabo District, police, working with residents, arrested 38-year-old Ngirabakunzi Elias with 28 packets of cannabis allegedly obtained from a compound where the drug was being sold.
A search of the premises uncovered another 1,702 packets allegedly belonging to Hakuzimana James, who escaped after jumping over a perimeter wall when police arrived. He remains wanted by security authorities.
Police also arrested Umubyeyi Adeline and Nkundimana Martin in Gatsata with 16 packets of cannabis, according to authorities.
CIP Wellars Gahonzire, spokesperson for the Rwanda National Police in Kigali, credited residents for providing information that helped authorities intercept the drugs before they could reach more users.
“The seizure of this amount of cannabis is a sign that there are still people selling cannabis and that there are also people using it,” Gahonzire said, urging residents to report suspected drug dealers to authorities.
He also warned people involved in the illegal trade to abandon it and seek lawful livelihoods, saying police have become increasingly familiar with the tactics used by drug traffickers.
Cannabis is classified in Rwanda as a highly dangerous narcotic drug. Anyone convicted of producing, cultivating, processing, transporting, storing, supplying or selling it can face life imprisonment and a fine ranging from RWF20 million to RWF30 million.
