The Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime (ASOC) department arrested two women in Rubavu District after they were found in possession of eight bales of smuggled second-hand clothes commonly known as caguwa.
The suspects, a 57-year-old mother and her 27-year-old daughter, were apprehended at their residence in Runyeheri Village, Nyarushyamba Cell, Nyakiriba Sector, on the morning of Tuesday, December 3.
The Western region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, said the arrest followed a tip-off from the public.
“Based on credible information the Police had about a large stock of smuggled clothes stored at the suspects’ home, Police officers from the Anti-Smuggling Unit searched the premises where they found eight bales of used clothes that had been smuggled into the country from the DR Congo,” SP Karekezi.
He commended those who provided the information on the two suspected smugglers, and urged the public to avoid engaging in smuggling.
He noted that taxes are used to develop infrastructure such as roads, schools, hospitals, and other public facilities, but warned that such acts amount to illegal cross-border trade.
He added that evading taxes undermines the country’s economy and the well-being of its citizens.
SP Karekezi also reminded the public that the Police, in collaboration with other institutions and the community, are actively fighting smuggling and fraud.
Engaging in such illegal trade carries severe penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years and a fine equivalent to 50% of the value of the smuggled goods, as stipulated under the East African Community Customs Management Act. (End)