Burundi police seize 361.5 kilos of cannabis
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Iwacu Burundi
Burundi’s police seized 361.5 kilograms of cannabis in the provinces of Bujumbura and Burunga and arrested three people suspected of drug trafficking. A 1.5-hectare field containing 15,000 plants was also destroyed in Ruvubu National Park, according to Major General Emmanuel Ndayiziga.
Burundi’s national police seized 361.5 kilograms of cannabis in the provinces of Bujumbura and Burunga and arrested three people suspected of trafficking, Emmanuel Ndayiziga, deputy inspector general of police, announced. The total value of drug seizures is estimated at $60,235, he said.
Investigators also destroyed a 1.5-hectare field containing 15,000 cannabis plants in Ruvubu National Park, in Gitega Province. The owner was not identified at the scene and a judicial investigation has been opened.
The operations also led to the seizure of 2,550 litres and 110 bottles of illicit or expired medicines in several markets. In the provinces of Burunga and Butanyerera, 4,183 litres and 120 cartons of locally produced prohibited drinks were seized or destroyed. Police also seized 144 untaxed pagnes in Buhumuza Province. These seizures of goods and medicines represent $23,522.24, Emmanuel Ndayiziga said. In total, 43 suspects were arrested and 31 judicial cases opened.
Two children under the age of 17, considered potential victims of trafficking, were rescued in Burunga while being taken to Tanzania for agricultural work. The operations are part of the regional USALAMA operation, organised annually since 2013 in countries across East and Southern Africa.
