Law enforcers need to work closely with the justice sector and other security organs to ensure that emerging crimes like human trafficking and cyber crimes are tackled effectively, the Minister for Justice, Johnston Busingye, has said.

Busingye was speaking at a workshop that brought together judicial police officers and prosecutors to chart strategies on how to improve criminal investigations and prosecution of offenders.

The workshop was held at Rwanda National Police (RNP) headquarters in Kacyiru, Kigali, yesterday.

The event was attended by the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, Prosecutor General Richard Muhumuza, and  senior Police officials from the  Criminal Investigation Department.

"All crimes, big and small, impact on national development and must be tackled through systematic planning and concerted effort between Police, national entities,  and regional and international law enforcers,” Busingye said.

"Emerging crimes such as human trafficking and cyber crimes may not be on a large scale in Rwanda, but there is no doubt they are a problem we cannot afford to ignore. We need to develop more platforms for investigators and prosecutors to devise ways to tackle such crimes.”

He commended Police investigators for continuously seeking  for evidence that helps to prosecute law offenders.

IGP Gasana noted that law enforcers need to become smarter and better equipped so as to be able to deal with today’s modern crimes and sophisticated criminals.

"Law enforcers must learn the latest technologies, understand how technologies are abused by criminals, as well as how to deploy technology to enhance investigation and prosecution. In addition to this, enforcement organs have to cooperate more closely by sharing intelligence, investigating wanted criminals and conducting joint enforcement operations,” he said.

"Over the past years, the justice sector has achieved a lot and, together with Police, and other security organs, human rights and justice in our country have been promoted.”

IGP Gasana mentioned that Rwanda’s cooperation with regional bodies such as the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (Eapcco) and Interpol has helped enhance RNP’s standards and enabled the Force to extend its arm beyond geographical national borders to pursue criminals and fugitives in other countries.

"Regional and international partnerships have led to many successful operations which have crippled criminal syndicates in our region. Through training and regional and international intelligence-sharing protocols, RNP will continue to detect and suppress crime for the benefit of all,” he said.

The workshop also witnessed lively debate among participants, who sought better mechanisms to constantly continue studying and laying strategies to tackle crimes like money laundering, terrorism, human trafficking, and cyber crime, among others.