Illicit drugs worth millions destroyed

Police in Kigali city yesterday destroyed illegal drugs and illicit brew worth millions of francs. Over 2,500 litres of illicit brew and over 300 kilograms of marijuana were set ablaze in an exercise held in Rusororo Sector, Gasabo District.

Friday, February 11, 2011
Some of the illicit drugs that were destroyed yesterday (Courtsey Photo)

Police in Kigali city yesterday destroyed illegal drugs and illicit brew worth millions of francs.

Over 2,500 litres of illicit brew and over 300 kilograms of marijuana were set ablaze in an exercise held in Rusororo Sector, Gasabo District.

Police Spokesperson, Supt. Theos Badege, said that the drugs were seized from several parts of Kigali city over the last two months during joint operations conducted by the police and local authorities.

The destruction of the drugs was witnessed by hundreds of youth, mostly students from schools in Rusororo, and was presided over by Chief Supt. Rogers Rutikanga, the Regional Police Commander, Kigali Central.
The exercise is part of the ongoing ‘Anti-Drug Abuse Week,’.

In November last year, 1,460 litres of local brew and 20 kgs of Marijuana was destroyed in the same area.
Drug abuse and its related offences have been topping the crime list since 2008.

Marijuana is said to be smuggled into the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania while Kanyanga and others illegal brews are smuggled from Uganda and Burundi.

"Most of those involved in drug abuse related cases are the youth,” Rutikanga explained. He urged them to partner with the police in arresting all those dealing in the crime by providing information of their whereabouts.

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