In May last year, Jephte Mukeshimana was woken up by unusual movements in his compound. Minutes later, he realised he had been robbed. Thieves broke into his house after drilling a hole through the wall and stole his 48-inch flat screen.

Although Mukeshimana had little hope of recovering his TV set, he still filed a case with police that same night.

"Last week, I heard that police had recovered an assortment of electronics and that they had put them on display at Kimironko Police Station for owners’ collection. I had to try my luck although with little hope. So, I took the serial number of the screen – as police requested – to the police station, only to be surprised when I found it among the recovered items,” she says.

Like Mukeshimana, Brian Mutabazi’s flat screen was stolen by a house-help, last year.

Mukeshimana and Mutabazi are among many people, who collected their recovered electronics at Kigali Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Remera yesterday.

Among the items Police recovered in various operations, and handed over to the rightful owners included television sets, laptops, iPads, smartphones, and home theatres among others.

At least 47 types of electronics – 106 television sets including 65 flat screens, 87 computers, 129 smart phones and 139 home theaters – were recovered in various police operations, especially in the City of Kigali.

Annuela Kayirangirwa, whose laptop was recovered, said: "This laptop was grabbed from me as I was walking home in Rwezamenyo, by three men, who also took my phone. I never thought I would get it back. This is a clear proof of how our security organs are committed to serve the people and ensure our security, and a clear message to those involved in robbery, that no one can escape justice.”

The Central Region Police Spokesperson, Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu, said that most of the items were recovered due to prompt information sharing from the public.

"It is evident that police-public partnership is very beneficial in overcoming crime and we continue to urge residents to work with security organs in fighting and preventing crimes,” said Supt. Hitayezu.

He said more electronics were in stores and were yet to be claimed by owners.

He emphasised the importance of keeping receipts for each purchase, which helps in case the item is lost or stolen, and found.

"We have successfully broken up gangs of thieves that were breaking into people’s houses and stealing electronics. We are currently working with several institutions, including local authorities to identify all black markets where stolen items are sold,” said Supt. Hitayezu, calling upon the public to always buy from recognised stores and ensure they get receipts.

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