Police nabs five Rwandan smugglers

One of the suspected smugglers, according to the police, who sustained bullet injuries managed to escape with the rest of the group but died as he was being rushed to the Ugandan health facility.

 

Some of the suspected Rwandan nationals arrested by the Uganda police after they were intercepted by security forces of Rwanda as they carried home waragi. (Courtesy photo)

The police in Kabaale were still holding five Rwandan nationals suspected to be part of smugglers who were repulsed by Rwandan security personnel who shot at them as they tried to sneak back into their country with ‘illegal' goods.

One of the suspected smugglers, according to the police, who sustained bullet injuries managed to escape with the rest of the group but died as he was being rushed to the Ugandan health facility.

The Kigezi region police spokesman, Elly Maate, said that on Friday, November 20, 2020 at about 9:00pm a group of Rwandan smugglers carrying waragi (local gin) jerry cans tried to enter back their country through the border point of Nyakena village in Kivuye Sub County, Bulera district.

He said the scene where the group was intercepted is 100 meters inside Rwanda.

According to Maate, three smugglers were seriously injured but they managed to run back with the rest and entered Uganda.

But after half a kilometer, according to Maate, at Muguri village, one victim died due to heavy bleeding from the bullet wounds as his colleagues tried to carry him to a nearby health facility.

He identified the deceased as Kyaboobo Bizumuremye, 23, a resident of Sebukuma village, Musenda parish, Gatebe Sub County in the Burera district of Rwanda.

Two others who sustained serious injuries included Lusizi Rwamayangye (22) and Ronald Nyihabusa (23).

They were later rushed to Rubaya Health Centre IV for further management.

On Saturday, according to Maate, the injured victims were transferred to Kabale Referral Hospital. The body of the deceased was taken to Kabale hospital mortuary for postmortem.

The rest were rounded up by the police in Uganda and locked up to help with further investigations.

He said the police would prefer charges of illegal entry into the country. They include Taodore Broshimana (19), Bosco Manirafashe (22) Aron Nagitimana (18) Jabiriimasi Kasasira (17) and Jandamuru Habyarimana (17) all from the same village.

"The police are still making further inquiries, after which the body will be handed over to the Rwandan authorities," Maate explained and described the shooting as murder.

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Ugandan smuggler shot while smuggling drugs into Rwanda

Media reports in Kampala on Monday January 20, reported about  a Ugandan who had been shot in Rwanda.

The incident happened in the night of Saturday at 11 pm, three kilometers inside Rwanda. 

The story that was first published by Daily Monitor, and later reproduced by a number of other websites, claimed that the Ugandan, Theogene Ndagijimana, said to be a resident of Kisoro District, was shot and killed.

The paper said Ndagijimana was shot together with two Rwandan cousins “who had crossed into Uganda to visit their relatives in Kabingo Village (Kisoro) through the ungazetted border entry there.” 

The article then added that Ndagijimana was “only escorting the cousins” (through the same illegal crossing point) when Rwandan security officers shot them.

But closer investigation shows the Ugandan media were not presenting all the facts, and in the process omitting important information. 

Contrary to reports in Ugandan media, one of the so-called cousins, identified as Munyembabazi, was in fact not just “visiting Uganda” and therefore not someone Ndagijimana was “escorting back to Rwanda.” 

In fact, Munyembabazi, 21, has been living in Uganda in the Kisoro area for the past five years. 

He also is a well-known smuggler and user of illegal crossings, according to area residents who identified him.

The second “cousin”,  Munezero, 20, has been a resident of Kagogo Sector, Kabaya Cell, Murambi in Rwanda. When he went to Uganda, it was not for “a visit”. 

He was on a smuggling mission, together with Ndagijimana and Munyembabazi. They were smuggling drugs into Rwanda when they were intercepted.

      

“Those smugglers were known as having a long-running career in this criminal activity,” said a border security official that talked on condition of anonymity. They also were known to be violent men that, when stopped refused.

They were armed with spears and threatening to use them when police shot. “It is a characteristic of drug smugglers to always turn aggressive when confronted,” border security officers disclosed.    

Another smuggler they were with, a Ugandan known as Gatsiri – resident of Kisoro in a place called Gahenerezo Center – escaped. 

According to information, Gatsiri is the one that first told about the dead Ugandan. 

However, there was a big problem when Ugandan authorities came to collect the body. 

An official known as Munanura who represents Uganda’s Internal Security Organ in Kisoro, and who came for Ndagijimana’s body was asked by Rwandan authorities to present the dead man’s identification or his family members.

The deceased smuggler had no document on him when he died. Munanura, the ISO man, had no identification of the dead man. 

But when the ISO man and his people left, they did not come back. Neither did Ndagijimana’s family appear to collect the body.   

Rwanda authorities have again decried the habit of smuggling; and of using illegal routes, commonly known as “panyas”. 

“Why not use the official crossing points? Rwanda has not stopped anyone entering the country – why resort to illegal paths? It only means criminal intentions! It is strictly advised that people from both sides of the border always endeavor to use official crossings in whatever they do,” officials stress.

Rwanda National Police has again warned members of the public to desist from smuggling; especially drug smuggling through illegal crossing points – more so at night.

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