The bales of used clothes were seized from three smugglers, who fled during the operation conducted in Bitare Village, Nkanda Cell in Busanze Sector. The smugglers were attempting to sneak the clothes into Rwanda from the neighboring Burundi.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Theobald Kanamugire, the Police spokesperson for the Southern region said that the smugglers were intercepted at about 4:30am as they crossed into Rwanda through an illegal border point.

"They were intercepted by security personnel, who were on their night patrol. The smugglers dropped the bales down and fled. The clothes were handed over to Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) branch in Nyaruguru," SP Kanamugire said.

"We understand there are groups of smugglers but we commend the role of residents in fighting these illegal businesses, through information sharing," he added.

Last week, the Rwanda National Police (RNP) Revenue Protection Unit (RPU) seized 200kgs of used clothes from smugglers in Nyamagabe District.

The goods seized from six people, who were also arrested in Bususuruke Village, Kagano Cell of Kitabi Sector, had been smuggled into Rwanda from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).