Two people, including a taxi motor operator, have been arrested by police in connection with robbery in Runda Sector of Kamonyi District. The suspects allegedly attacked a businessman in his shop in Ruyenzi Cell of Runda Sector at about 11pm, assaulted and injured him before stealing mobile phones. The Police spokesperson for the Southern region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP), Twizere Karekezi, said: “So far, we know four men attacked a businessman in his shop, stole phones from the shop but also while fleeing they snatched a handbag from a woman which also contained a mobile handset, among other things,” CIP Karekezi said. “The night patrol in collaboration with residents, however, managed to apprehend two of the suspects who were traveling on the same motorcycle TVS registration number RD 238V, and handed them over to the Police in Runda,” he added. The motorcycle was impounded and handed over to Rwanda Investigations Bureau alongside the suspects, he said. Daniel Ngarambe, the president of FERWACOTAMO, a federation of motorcycle cooperatives, warned motorcyclists against engaging in criminal activities. “Today, we use an IT system to keep records of our members, and it makes it very easy to identify anyone implicated in any criminal activity, which informs us on how to act, including expelling that person from the motorcycle transport business,” said Ngarambe. “We have so far expelled a number of our members caught in criminal acts such as theft as well as sell, trafficking and use of narcotic drugs,” he added. With the help of GPS, which is being installed in motorcycles, he said that they are able to track a motorcycle either stolen or implicated in any criminal dealings so as to support security organs in operations and investigations. Theft with violence or threats, under article 302 of the penal code, is punishable with a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of five to ten times the value of the stolen asset. However, under the same article, the sentence can increase to between five and seven years if the violence or threats used in theft result in an illness or temporary loss of working capacity. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
