Two held with 50kgs of cannabis in Ruhango

At least two suspected drug dealers have been taken into custody in Ruhango District. Bosco Ntakirutimana, 32, and Jean Buregeya, 27, were arrested in the wee hours of Saturday morning in Ruhango town with about 50 kilogrammes of cannabis, Police in Ruhango said.

Sunday, February 05, 2017

At least two suspected drug dealers have been taken into custody in Ruhango District.

Bosco Ntakirutimana, 32, and Jean Buregeya, 27, were arrested in the wee hours of Saturday morning in Ruhango town with about 50 kilogrammes of cannabis, Police in Ruhango said.

The acting District Police Commander of Ruhango, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Jean Bosco Ndayisabye, said that the narcotic drugs were recovered from the house of Ntakirutimana following a tip-off from the residents.

"At about 5a.m on Saturday, a resident, out of suspicion, called us after seeing people unloading luggage from a vehicle. Police officers were deployed immediately, but the vehicle had already left by the time of their arrival. They proceeded and searched the house of Ntakirutimana, where they recovered sacks of cannabis. Ntakirutimana was immediately taken into custody together with Buregeya, who was also found at the scene,” CIP Ndayisabye said.

The suspects are currently detained at Ruhango Police Station as further investigations into their criminal dealings continue, Police said.

"Ruhango lies in the transit route for drug dealers, and for that matter, we are always on alert to respond decisively on any information we get from the people or our counterparts from other districts. However, there are some individuals who sell cannabis within the district, but due to the existing partnership with the people, we are also able to identify and apprehend them, and then their case files are forwarded to prosecution for trial,” he noted.

Last month, Police in Ruhango also arrested another drug dealer identified as Haruna, with about 30kgs of cannabis. Haruna was recently convicted by a court in Ruhango and sentenced to four years in prison.

Article 594 of the Rwandan penal code partly states that 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 three to five years and a fine of Rwf500,000 to Rwf5 million.

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