All liquors mostly packaged in banned plastic bags, are classified as narcotics in Rwanda.

The law governing narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in Rwanda, in its Article 24, also states that "any drink that exceeds forty five percent of alcohol and any other drink which doesn't have the required quality for consumption shall be considered as narcotic drug.”

The Governor of the Eastern Province, Fred Mufukukye Tuesday urged residents of Nyagatare District to up their community policing efforts in identifying and reporting drug dealers.

The Governor made the call in Musheri Sector where he addressed hundreds of residents during a public exercise to dispose of assorted contraband seized by the Police in the past month.

About 320 cartons of Zebra Gin, Speranza, African Gin, Chase Waragi, and jerrycans of kanyanga seized in varied Police operations were destroyed in an exercised also attended by the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bosco Rangira.

"Selling these illicit drugs is poisoning people, which we can’t allow, neither should you,” Mufulukye told the residents.

"Drugs threaten development because the young people that should be in school are being wasted by drugs, the money that should be spent on development activities is channeled to health services to rehabilitate and give medical care to the addicted,” the Governor said.

More than 70 percent of all drug dealers and victims are the youth aged between 18 and 35 years. Illness such as heart, liver, kidney and mental problems are also linked to narcotic drugs.

Between 2010 and 2015, the Neuro-psychiatric Hospital of Ndera received 1432 patients with mental illness caused by use of drugs, according to statistics from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).

The number increased to 2804 in 2016 but recorded a slight decrease to 1960 last year. Huye Isange Rehabilitation Centre received 209 cases, last year.

Rangira attributed the seizure of the disposed of drugs to the existing partnership between the Police and the public.

"Drug dealers, traders or abusers are your neighbours, friends, relatives or use your communities as transit routes; when you hide these people you will be bleeding criminals,” Rangira.

He called for timely information on dealers and even their addicted children so that they are rehabilitated.