The DRC registered vehicle, Land Cruiser with plate number 1578AE19, was intercepted on Thursday, April 21.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region said that two people connected to this drug trafficking have also been arrested.

They include the driver, also a Congolese citizen identified as Amuli- Lwamungu – Goinara, 33, who had been hired to sneak the narcotics into Rwanda, and one Manzi Moussa alias Sadi, 47, the alleged rightful owner and who was supposed to receive them in Rwanda.

"Lwamungu had concealed the 1000 pellets of cannabis in envelopes and hid them in his car boot, but the Police Border Security Unit had prior information on the planned drug trafficking. Lwamungu was arrested after crossing into Rwanda when they searched and recovered the narcotics in his vehicle," SP Karekezi said.

"After his arrest, Lwamungu disclosed that he was given the narcotics by a woman in Goma, DRC but could not disclose the woman’s identities. He said that the woman told him to deliver cannabis to one Moussa Manzi alias Sadi," he added.

Manzi is a suspected drug dealer operating in Gisenyi, who was also located and arrested in Kivumu Village, Nengo Cell, where he was at the time waiting for Lwamungu to deliver the narcotics.

SP Karekezi commended a resident, who shared information leading to the arrest of the suspect, adding that this partnership and ownership is playing a central role in breaking chains of drug supply.

The suspects are currently detained at Gisenyi station pending further investigations.

The Ministerial order nº 001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorization classifies cannabis in the category of "very severe narcotics.’’

Article 263 of law No 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offenses and penalties in general states that any person, who unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, commits an offence.

Upon conviction for "very severe narcotics," the offender faces between 20 years and life imprisonment, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.