Police operations carried out between June and August, in collaboration with communities, intercepted nearly 300 kilogrammes of cannabis, thousands of pellets, traces of heroin, and litres of the illicit gin known locally as Kanyanga, according to Rwanda National Police (RNP).
Over 680 people have been arrested this year for allegedly trafficking, transporting, and distributing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. In some parts of the country, the trafficking and abuse of Kanyanga have fallen by nearly 80 per cent, largely due to vigilant communities and tighter border controls, RNP reports.
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Rwanda has increased investment in the rehabilitation of drug addicts, with more than 6,200 people currently receiving treatment across four centres. Among them are some 1,500 individuals recovering from cannabis use, and hundreds more battling heroin addiction or multiple substances.
According to ACP Boniface Rutikanga, RNP spokesperson, police efforts go beyond seizures to ensure drugs do not reach vulnerable users.
Smugglers often attempt to move narcotics through porous borders with neighbouring countries. However, tighter surveillance, intelligence-sharing, and cooperation from local communities have led to more arrests, Rutikanga said.
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The police run campaigns in schools, host radio discussions, hold village meetings, and use social media to raise awareness. Youth volunteers in community policing now number more than two million, helping to spread information and identify suspects. Anti-crime clubs in schools further alert students to the dangers of drug use, he noted.
“We are constantly raising awareness in schools, churches, workplaces, and through rehabilitation centres,” Rutikanga said. “The goal is not just to punish, but to prevent and heal.”
These efforts have disrupted the cycle of addiction, with most suspects arrested under the age of 30, the most affected demographic, he added.
