Police in Rwamagana District are holding two men accused of impersonating police officers in an attempt to defraud several traders through threats.

Jean Claude Nkundwanabose and Elise Uwukunda were apprehended on Sunday in Rwamagana town after area residents alerted police.

Residents told Police that four men dressed casually, who were traveling in a vehicle registration number RAA343U, at about 6pm, entered one of the shops in Rwamagana and introduced themselves to a shop attendant, as police officers.

"One of them said that he was the judicial officer for Rwamagana District. They threatened to arrest my wife, who was in the shop accusing her of selling Kanyanga (illicit gin) if she didn’t offer them a bribe,” Laurent Gahiza, one of the victims, said.

"My wife gave them Rwf5, 000, which they dismissed as peanut. She called me from the backyard and when I reached there they also threatened to handcuff me accusing us of selling kanyanga, and continued their threats, I offered them Rwf50, 000, they drove me in their car to the bank, where I withdrew the money and gave it to them,” Gahiza narrated.

According to the Eastern region spokesperson, Inspector of Police Emmanuel Kayigi, after a resident called Police, a road-block was mounted along Rwamagana-Kigali highway and they were intercepted in Ntunga.

"When they saw a Police checkpoint, they abandoned the vehicle and attempted to flee, but they were pursued and two of them were arrested, and search for others continues,” IP Kayigi said.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the ring defrauded four shops in Rwamagana that day. In another shop, they are said to have defrauded the owner of Rwf150, 000, under similar tricks.

"We were able to arrest these suspects because of the vital part played by the residents, and through partnership and timely information exchange,” IP Kayigi said.

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