KIGALI, April 20 — Rwandan police have arrested 800 people suspected of theft in a countrywide crackdown following a recent wave of criminal activity, said authorities on Wednesday.
The suspects are mainly between 20 and 30 years old and “were apprehended over the past two months in towns across the country, with a majority of them being in the capital city Kigali,” Desire Gumira, the Regional Police Commander of the central region, told reporters.
He said the security operation was prompted by the recent wave of theft in various urban centres in the country as reported by residents.
Gumira appealed to the public to develop a culture of timely reporting suspected individuals to security agencies.
The suspects were found to be regular drinkers of alcohol yet without clear sources of income, according to the police.
Warning against lawlessness, police assured the public that security agencies are mapping crime spots to prevent crimes.
If a person is convicted of theft, they can face imprisonment for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years, as well as a fine ranging from 1 million Rwandan francs to 2 million Rwandan francs (about 901 U.S. dollars to 1,802 dollars), or community service for six months. (Xinhua)
