Kirehe – Police, on Wednesday, at 8p.m, intercepted an estimated 300 kilogrammes of cannabis in Kirehe District, destined for Kigali.The incident is one of many in a few months, particularly in the district.Police said the suspected drug traffickers managed to flee, leaving behind several sacks of the product in Kigarama Village.Kirehe District Police Commander (DPC), Supt. Johnson Sesonga, said Police was still hunting for the suspects.“The existing partnership with the community is helping us unearth even the most secretive drug dealers. The dealers are very sensitive to any movements…so, they escaped before our arrival, but we shall get them,” he said.The DPC noted that most of the cannabis was smuggled from neighbouring countries through porous borders.“It is evident that cannabis is smuggled from neighbouring states…Kigarama is just a few kilometres from the Tanzanian border”.Alfred Niyonsaba, a resident of the area, said the people were well sensitised to combat drug trafficking. He, however, lamented that some people who were making a fortune out of the business were sabotaging efforts to curb the trade.“Cannabis, like any other drug business, is a lucrative...it thus attracts many would-be innocent people. It has become a problem in that sense,” he said.“We are in touch with authorities in Tanzania to manage the issue of cannabis...and the progress is good. There are situations where people even plant the drug in their gardens...so we need a strong campaign to get a lasting solution,” Kirehe District Mayor, Protais Murayire, said.
