Northern, Eastern provinces worst hit by illegal drugs trade

As the fight against drug trafficking and consumption in the country intensifies, 592 people, among them 57 females, were apprehended during the first two months of the year for narcotics related crimes, according to the latest report of the anti-narcotics unit of the national police.Nearly all drug abuse cases registered involved marijuana and illicit liquor, commonly known as Kanyanga.Over 1,000 litres of the lethal brew were seized and 136 suspects arrested in connection with the offence, while 659 kilos were impounded and 456 suspects taken into custody.Most of the crimes were registered in the Eastern Province, where 442 kilos of cannabis and 308 litres of illicit brew were seized and 153 arrested for alleged involvement in the crimes. Earlier this year, police reportedly enlisted the services of its canine brigade in the province, using sniffer dogs to smoke out drugs concealed in trucks and mainly transporting merchandise from neighbouring countries. The Northern Province filed the highest cases involving Kanyanga where over 477.5 litres recovered while most consumers were arrested in Kigali.According to Supt Emmanuel Ngondo, the Director of anti-narcotics unit in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), marijuana cases were prevalent in the Eastern districts of Kirehe, Ngoma and Kayonza while Kanyanga cases were high in Gicumbi, Nyagatare and Burera districts.“This is because these districts border countries where these drugs are produced and sneaked into the country,” Ngondo disclosed.Marijuana is believed to be peddled from Tanzania and the DR Congo while Kanyanga is said to be ferried from Uganda. Ngondo believes that the campaign against drug abuse, which was launched late last year, has had a positive effect in combating the vice, which is high among the youth, and has topped the crime list in the past several years.Last year, 2,720 cases of illicit drug trafficking and abuse were recorded.“Previously, the task was almost left to the police, which was involved in the anti drug abuse campaign; but now all security agencies, the public and other institutions have joined the battle. This has helped identify dealers and consumers following tip-offs from the public,” added Ngondo.Previously, drugs were often trafficked into the country using transit trucks, but today, traffickers have devised other means such as using new vehicles imported into the country as well as public vehicles.“We are aware of all tricks they [drug traffickers] are using; we have identified the drug dealers’ chain and this will ease our work,” observed Ngondo.Increasing the awareness campaign, breaking the dealers’ chain and coordinating with other countries, he noted, are some of the strategies devised to effectively fight such crimes.Drug abuse is also believed to be the instigator of other crimes such as defilement, rape, theft and school drop-outs. “Cocaine and heroin are rare cases; we have not recorded any of these cases this year, though a few cases were registered last year,” he noted. Aime Bosenibamwe, the Governor of the Northern Province, disclosed that they have initiated cross-border meetings with officials in neighbouring Uganda to eliminate the drugs menace.“We have informers in several locations which help us apprehend the dealers and drugs. It is not that drug trafficking and abuse cases are on the rise, it’s because we have intensified measures which have seen all those involved in this crime identified and apprehended.” He further noted that previous traffickers of Kanyanga in the province, also known as Abarembetsi, have been organised in cooperative societies, which he believes is a boost in routing out the forces of supply.Bonane Nyangezi, the Mayor of Gicumbi said that though drug cases are high in the district, cases have reduced drastically compared to previous years.

National

Northern, Eastern provinces worst hit by illegal drugs trade