The Western region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, said the arrest of Havugimana was a result of strong collaboration between the Police and the public through information sharing.

"Havugimana picked a suspicious luggage near Muhoko market prompting people, who were there to call the Police. He was intercepted along the way, searched a sack of potatoes he was transporting and found another small sack inside containing 870 rolls of cannabis.

He was arrested and handed over to RIB at Kanama station for further investigations," SP Karekezi said.

It is alleged that Havugimana was hired by a woman suspected to be one of the major suppliers in Rubavu to transport the narcotics to Mahoko taxi-park from where they were supposed to be picked and transported to Kigali.

The arrest of Havugimana come on the heels of heightened operations against one of the high impact crimes.

On Monday, Police in Rubavu arrested a woman trafficking 1000 pellets of cannabis underneath her clothes.

Last week, over 1000kgs of cannabis seized from various operations in the districts of Rubavu, Rutsiro and Ngororero in the last eight months, were also disposed of in Rubavu.

Cannabis is classified as a very severe narcotic drug with a sentence ranging from 20 years and life imprisonment, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.