A man suspected of trafficking heroin, a highly addictive hard drug locally known as mugo, was paraded before the media at Kigali Metropolitan Police on Tuesday.
Rashid Mungenye, a Ugandan national, who works as a conductor with Trinity Express, a regional transport company, was, according to the police, caught red-handed with at least 400 grams of heroin which had been stuffed in the cover jackets of two books.
He was intercepted last week on Thursday at Gatuna border.
The suspect, while speaking to the media at the Remera-based KMP, admitted the crime but claimed he was unaware that the two books he had contained drugs.
"I cannot deny that I brought the two books. However, I was not aware that they had drugs stuffed in them, I am innocent,” he said.
According to him, he was called by a lady he identified as "Michelle”, whom he said was a regular traveller with the bus company he works for.
"Michelle asked me to help her carry the two books from Entebbe (in Uganda) to Kigali, from where I sent them to China using FedEx,” he said, adding that the said Michelle told him that the courier services in Entebbe were more expensive than in Kigali.
He said the said Michelle paid for his transport to and from Kigali and advanced him 60,000 Ugandan shillings (about Rwf15,000) for his work.
According to police, the 27-year old was intercepted at Gatuna border on his way back to Uganda, having ‘accomplished’ his errand.
What police say
Commissioner of Police John Bosco Kabera, the Spokesperson of Rwanda National Police, said that these drugs are highly addictive, adding that most of these drugs here in Rwanda are sneaked in from Uganda.
"These drugs are very addictive such that when users run out of stock, they will do anything, including carrying out illegal activities, to get money to buy them,” added Kabera.
He warned the youth who are mostly involved in the use of such drugs, saying they do not only particularly affect them but also the country in general. He called upon the public to always provide timely and reliable information about any suspicious people involved in such activities.
According to the police, the drugs were detected at Kigali International Airport as a courier company tried to ship the package off to China. The suspect’s names were written on the package, which helped the police and other organs to launch an extensive search.
Kabera said they would handle the suspect to Rwanda Investigation Bureau for further investigation.
Credible sources confirmed that these narcotics are so expensive so much that one milligram of heroin may cost up to Rwf20,000.
Under article 263 of the new penal code, anyone convicted as "severe narcotic drugs” dealer faces "life imprisonment” and a fine of between Rwf20 million and not more Rwf30 million.