Rwanda National Police (RNP) has arrested eight people said to have been masquerading as security personnel, intimidating, and fleecing unwitting members of the public.

The group was shown to the media on Saturday, May 22, at the Police Metropolitan headquarters in Remera, Gasabo District.

The racket includes the suspected ringleaders; Joseph Nsengiyumva, 40, Laurien Niyoyita, 33, Jean-Paul Rukinda, 35 and Alexis Fayizari.

Fayizari was taken into custody on Saturday morning in Muhanga District where he was at the time trying to defraud a local businessman of two tonnes of rice.

The ring was using a Toyota Corolla vehicle registration number RAA 780B, which was also impounded. 

One of the suspects, Joseph Nsengiyumva, who was also the driver, was found with a service card indicating that he is a captain in Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).

The forged the RDF service card which bears a passport photo of Nsengiyumva in military attire with a rank of captain.

Investigations indicate that in the car, Nsengiyumva was in most cases traveling with Niyoyita and Rukinda, who moved with handcuffs and a toy pistol, which they were using to threaten and rob their target.

RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that the racket is behind series of fraud, theft through threats and intimidation, and impersonation.

He added that the ring and its criminal activities came to light about two months ago, when investigations and operations targeting its members were commenced.

How they were defrauding traders

"Information about this group and its criminal activities was provided by some of the victims. This ring had formed two groups with each group performing specific roles,” said CP Kabera.

After purchasing goods in big quantity, especially rice and maize flour, one group would sell them to targeted traders at a low price without giving them receipts. 

The other group of Nsengiyumva, Niyoyita and Rukinda would then show up later and ask the same traders to provide receipts for the goods that they have purchased.

"Nsengiyumva was using the forged military ID during their criminal operations, which he would show to traders before handcuffing him or her and putting them in their vehicle where they would intimidate them with the toy pistol,” CP Kabera explained.

At this point, the trader would either give them money out of fear of being harmed or imprisoned, or the group would load and take the same goods.

Fayizari, who was last to be arrested on Saturday morning, had called a trader in Muhanga to send him two tonnes of rice promising that he would send him the money.

"The trader, out of suspicion, declined to send the rice but instead called the Police, which took Fayizari into custody,” said the spokesperson.

Nsengiyumva, while speaking to journalists, claimed that he is called ‘Kalisa Joseph’ despite his national ID indicating that he is in fact ‘Nsengiyumva Joseph.’ It is said that Nsengiyumva joined military in 1992 but was discharged in 2012 at the rank of Sergeant.

One of the victims, Emmanuel Bishingwabagabo of Kinyinya Sector in Gasabo District, said that Nsengiyumva found him in his shop recently, showed him the military service card before Bishingwabagabo was rolled into the vehicle.

"He (Nsengiyumva) entered my shop, pulled out a military ID and told me ‘I am showing you this card for you to know who you are talking with. Together with other members of his group, their handcuffed me, took me in their car, intimidated and threatened me. I was released after giving them Frw1,025,000,” Bishingwabagabo narrated.

Another victim, Emmanuel Harerimana from Kicukiro, said that the same group supplied him with 98 bags of maize flour but another group of Nsengiyumva showed up shortly after saying that this was fraud.

"They handcuffed and took me in their car, but I was released after giving them Rwf900,000,” said Harerimana.

CP Kabera said that the racket was operating City of Kigali and in other parts of the country but added that law enforcement organs are still working together to identify and arrest anyone connected to this criminal ring.

He advised the business community against dealing with suspicious individuals and groups or engaging in unlawful business transactions, which are some of the tricks used by criminals to target and defraud people.

What the law says

Clause One of article 174 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, defines fraud as deception, obtaining another person’s property, whole or part of his/her finance by use of false names or qualifications, or offering positive promises or threats of future misfortunes.

Clause Two of the same article provides a term of imprisonment of between two and three years, and a fine of not less than Rwf3 million but not more than Rwf5 million, upon conviction.

Article 151 states that "any person, who by violence, deception or threats, abducts or causes to be abducted, unlawfully detains or causes to be detained another person, commits an offence. Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years and not more than seven (7) years.”

Forging or using a forged document, under article 276, is punishable with a term of imprisonment of five to seven years and a fine of up to Frw5 million.

Under article 168, if theft is carried out with violence or threats, the penalty is imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years and not more than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than Frw3 million and not more than Frw5 million.