The Rwanda National Police, through Interpol-Rwanda conducted a two-day operation codenamed ‘Usalama 1’, targeting cross-border crimes. Usalama, which means ‘safety’ in Swahili, is an Interpol supported operation conducted in the Eastern and Southern Africa and was completed in Rwanda this week. It targeted a range of transnational crimes such as human and drug trafficking, wild life crimes, copper cables, smuggling of minerals and trafficking of small arms and light weapons. During the two-day operation which started on Thursday, Police intercepted 20 kilogrammes of tin in Eastern Province’s Gatsibo District which was being smuggled into the country. One Joel Gasana, 39, was arrested in connection with the smuggled tin. The Director of Interpol in Rwanda National Police, Chief Superintendent Jean Nepo Mbonyumuvunyi, said there were no other major incidents recorded, an indication of improved safety and security in the country. “The operation was conducted by use of snap checks, sniffer dogs and other gathered information.,” Mbonyumuvunyi said. He noted that todays’ crimes are transnational in nature and largely facilitated by technology as criminals are always planning how to export and conduct their acts. “We urge the general public to strengthen their cooperation by providing timely information on anything suspicious or people involved in illegal acts because ensuring security is nowadays a two-way traffic,” he said. Usalama 1 operation was conducted simultaneously in 15 other countries from the Eastern and Southern Africa. The countries are Burundi, Eriteria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda, Botwana, Malawi Mauritius, Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zambia.
