Rwanda National Police (RNP) has arrested 15 people, who are members of the same racket suspected to be behind series of motorcycle theft in Nyagatare and Gicumbi districts.
They were paraded to the media on Friday, February 7, in Nyagatare following successful operations to break the robbery ring.
During the operations, Police recovered four motorcycles from the suspects, which are part of nine motorcycles that were reported stolen in the two districts over the past three months.
Operations are still underway to recovered other five motorcycles that are still missing, said the RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Boniface Rutikanga.
He added that the 15 suspects were apprehended as a result of good collaboration between the Police and the public, through information sharing.
“We started receiving cases of violent theft of motorcycles in these two districts, in November, last year. Investigations revealed that those behind these criminal activities was a coordinated group, which was stealing the motorcycles and taking them to neighbouring countries where they are sold,” ACP Rutikanga said.
“In response to fight these criminal activities, Police arrested the 15 suspects, who belong to the same ring. Nine of them are residents of Nyagatare and the other six are from Rukomo sector in Gicumbi.”
“Each member of the group had specific roles. Some of them were responsible for stealing motorcycles and taking them to one of their members, who would in turn deliver them to other people in neighboring countries,” he added.
The group was using different methods to steal the motorcycles, including breaking into houses, especially at night; others were guising as passengers, and would lead the victim into an ambush.
They would then remove plate numbers before sneaking them out of the country, after few days or weeks.
Esaie Dusabimana, a taxi-moto operator in Ruvune, Gicumbi district, is one of the victims, whose motorcycle was recovered.
He narrated that on the fateful day, as he was heading back home at night, he was ambushed by three people at a place called Mburamazi, who beat him and left him unconscious before stealing his motorcycle.
“They appeared from nowhere, hit me with unknown objects and dragged me to the nearby forest, undressed me, tied me, used my trouser to strangle me and they left with my motorcycle thinking I was dead. I regained my senses hours later,” said Dusabimana.
Another victim, Faustin Uzabakiriho, who survived the violent robbery, is among those, whose motorcycles are yet to be recovered.
He said: “On November 4, at about 7pm, as I was going back home from Mimuri trading centre, I was stopped by a man, who was standing in the middle of the road pretending to be asking for a lift. I slowed down and before I could stop, another man appeared from the bush, pushed the motorcycle and I fell down. They were armed with knives, they took me to a maize plantation, and being a matter of life and death, I tried to fight for my life but they stabbed me, undressed me and left me tied on a tree. They took my motorcycle and mobile phone. We thank our Police for arresting such bad people.”
ACP Rutikanga reassured all those whose motorcycles are still missing, that they will also be recovered and that all those connected to these robberies will also be arrested to face justice.
He appealed to anyone with information about such criminal acts, to come forward to facilitate ongoing investigations.
Article 169 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, states that, “any person, who steals a motor vehicle in order to take it in another country, commits an offence. Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of more
than five (5) years and not more than seven (7) years with a fine of not less than Frw5 million and not more than Frw10 million.”
In article 224, any person who forms a criminal association regardless of number of its members or its duration, to commit offences against persons or their property, who aids in its formation, who is its leader, who is its organiser, who joins, who encourages or forces others to join, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to
imprisonment for a term of not less than
seven years and not more than ten years.
