Five men have been arrested in connection with the attempted robbery of a cigarette store belonging to British American Tobacco (BAT), in Rwamagana town.

The suspects, who are detained at Rwamagana Police Station, are said to have hatched a plot to also rob Universal Shop, a popular shopping store owned by Sehir T.K.

The suspected thugs were armed with knives and ropes with which they were allegedly going to use to strangle their victims.

According to the police, the robbery was foiled because one of the thugs leaked the robbery plan and they fell into a police ambush.

Police officers arrested three men at the scene and arrested two others a short time later.
One of the suspects, only known as Diouf, said they had targeted Rwf10 million which they thought was average daily sales of the BAT shop.

Jeanine Niyonshuti, a BAT shop attendant said they had learnt of the robbers’ plan but the police had promised intervention.

"They said I was too weak to attract use of guns. Few knives and a rope was enough for me according to them…I am still nervous. It was scary as they knocked at the door insistently,” she said.

"We had received death threats before the attack…one of the thugs however, warned and promised to help us apprehend them. So, that was the drama.”

Beransira Kantarama, 60, one of the eye witnesses, said she saw the men seated in a black car; and one of them knocked incessantly at BAT shop before the police arrived.

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