Equally still, Mukeshimana could stealthily deliver the narcotics to different clients in Gisenyi town and other neighbouring districts.

As the old saying goes, “a thief has only 40 days," Mukeshimana’s days were also numbered. Her luck run out on Monday, May 30, when she was arrested in her home village of Kinyandaro, Gasiza Cell, Busasamana Sector in Rubavu District with 1,000 pellets of cannabis.

She had wrapped the narcotics around her waist and covered with clothes, a trick used by many drug traffickers.

"Mukeshimana had brought the narcotics days before from DRC and kept them in her house located in Kinyandaro village," superintendent of Police (SP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said.

He added: "On Monday at about 10:45pm, as she was waiting for a motorcycle to transport her to Gisenyi town, residents got suspicious after they saw her alone in that darkness, so they called the Police at Busasamana station, which is located about 15 minutes drive from where Mukeshimana was standing.

Indeed, when searched, Police officers found 1,000 rolls of cannabis concealed in a polythene bag and wrapped on her stomach. She was arrested and handed over to RIB at Busasamana station."

Rubavu is mapped as one of the main transit routes for drug traffickers from the DRC.

As such, Rwanda National Police (RNP), local authorities and other partners have strengthened operations and campaigns against one of the high impact crimes.

Over 1000kgs of cannabis seized in the last eight months, were disposed of in Rubavu District last week. At least 103 people were arrested with the disposed of substances, including 76 in Rubavu, 23 in Nyabihu and 4 in Ngororero.