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.

Nine people were also arrested in the process, Police said.

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 where 50,200 pieces of banned plastic bags, 50 litres of diesel and different types of expired medical drugs were also impounded.

Three people were also arrested in Gisagara in connection with the act.

According to Chief Inspector of Police Andre Hakizimana, Police spokesperson for the Southern Province, 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 effectively respond to 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, that are 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 by the driver.

"On June 2, at about 4:30pm, we received a phone call from the driver, who informed us that he had suspicions over the luggage he was transporting; 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 that are banned in the country.

"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.

Last year, Police seized 70 cartons of fake body lotions in Nyabihu.

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