Editor,

The story in your newspaper "smuggled goods worth Rwf 40m intercepted” drew my attention. I ply Kigali- Kampala route more often and stories about smuggled goods coming into our country don’t surprise many of people.

For instance, if you travel on the night bus, you will get the sense that smuggled goods have been coming into the country unnoticed and the game is not likely to end soon because the tricks employed are very advanced.

Personally, I don’t have proof whether traffic police officers play a role here but The Newtimes story of December, 10, revealing that the Rwanda National Police was is in the process of dismissing 94 police officers over corruption-related crimes made me change my earlier opinion over our police.

It is clear many shrewd business people have benefited at the expensive of other genuine business people who pay taxes. There are stories that some people who deal in cell phones have always dodged customs officials’ surveillance.

We have also heard many stories from Democratic Republic of Congo where expensive wines are smuggled into the country. Some unverified reports suggest that people who are supposed to prevent this happening are the very people who violate the rules.

Agnes Kantalama
Kigali