06 Aug 2020

Tshesebe Police have raised concern about smuggling of goods between Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to BOPA on Thursday Tshesebe police station Commander Superintendent Amos Kekgathetse noted that perpetrators smuggle electronic appliances through ungazzetted points at border villages.

He stated that on August 4 they intercepted the smuggling of 65 electronic appliances which included television sets, sound systems, home theatres and decoders at Butale village.

Unfortunately, he noted that the two suspects believed to be Zimbabwean nationals managed to escape, leaving the truck and the goods behind.

Supt Kekgathetse said the truck was believed to have been traveling from Zimbabwe to Francistown to exchange goods which were labelled as defects.

The station commander said preliminary investigations indicated that the goods had been purchased from a supplier in Francistown and the clients in Zimbabwe returned them after realising their defects,.

Mr Kekgathetse highlighted that the police were keeping a close eye on the suspicious movement of goods between the two countries adding that during the past few months they had registered a significant number of goods like clothing items and electronics that were believed to be transported to Zimbabwe.

The station commander stated that both the police and Botswana Defence Force continued to patrol the Tshesebe policing area day and night especially at the border fence.

Supt Kekgathetse cautioned Batswana to desist from conniving with foreigners to break the law and smuggle goods in or out of the country.

He said such unlawful acts were risky in that they jeopardised the country’s efforts to fight COVID-19. “Locals can easily contract the virus during these illegal encounters,” he warned.

Meanwhile, Supt Kekgathetse expressed satisfaction over the level of cooperation from truck drivers at the Ramokgwebana holding bay.

Truckers, he noted were following all COVID-19 protocols as advised by health officials. Ends