The coltan concession is owned by DUMAC mining company.

All the suspects are part of the group of illegal miners in Rubona, who were at the time found in the concession, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region.

"Security guards at the site called the Police after they saw the group entering the concession at about 6:30pm. Police arrested them at the scene with with 11.5kgs of coltan," SP Twizeyimana said.

They were handed over to RIB at Rubona station for further investigations.

Article 54 of the law N° 58/2018 of 13/08/2018 on mining and quarry operations, states that; any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a licence, commits an offence.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a license

SP Twizeyimana warned against illegal mining activities adding that such practices, in some cases, lead to loss of lives.

"These people go into concessions especially at night, they have no protection gears and at times they hardly have any idea on the status of the concession. Some concessions were closed for security reasons and dangerous to go in. Again, these unlawful practices are not environmental friendly, cause landslides and loss of lives, " SP Twizeyimana explained.