Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) on Thursday, August 29, paraded six individuals who are accused of being part of a racket that targeted business owners across the country.

The suspects, all from Bugesera District, were part of a group that masqueraded as wholesalers or potential business partners, and had fraudulently obtained goods valued at over Rwf20 million, according to RIB.

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The group’s tricks included posing as wholesalers or potential business partners, hoodwinking legitimate business owners into supplying them large quantities of goods.

The suspects face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud, hacking into computer networks, and robbery.

"This is not the first time these individuals have been involved in such crimes, said RIB spokesperson Thierry Murangira.

"They have a history of engaging in similar fraudulent activities, and this time, we were able to catch them in the act.”

The suspects ran out of tricks during an operation at the recent International Trade Fair held in Gikondo in early August, according to RIB. They were caught with a large haul of stolen goods, including 100 bags of rice, 200 jars of cooking oil, 300 construction tubes, 30 boxes of whiskey, 120 crates of beer, among other items.

RIB also recovered 192 stolen mobile phones, which were returned to their rightful owners on Thursday. Many of these phones had been stolen from public places, such as churches, wedding ceremony, and markets.

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The six men are said to have played different roles in the scheme. One member, disguised as a market trader, would approach businesspeople and claim he could help find buyers of their goods.

Once he secured the goods, another member, who iperated a business in Bugesera, would take charge of selling the stolen items.

One of the suspects acted as the driver, transporting the stolen goods to various locations, while another was responsible for producing fake payment receipts, which were then sent to the traders who they bought the goods from.

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Murangira also issued a warning to traders, urging them to be vigilant and not to trust individuals who promise large profits without due diligence.

"We advise traders to exercise caution and not to believe that everyone who is well-dressed and speaks smoothly should be trusted. These criminals rely on deception, but with careful attention, their schemes can be uncovered.”

Murangira urged the public to be cautious when purchasing second-hand equipment, as buying from unverified sources only encourages criminal activities.

"People need to break the habit of buying used equipment from unknown individuals. It not only feeds into the black market but also makes it harder for us to track down the stolen goods and catch the criminals responsible,” he said.