26 Jan 2026

Six Mexican nationals sentenced by the Extension II Magistrate Court to 12 months’ imprisonment and a P5,000 fine for entering Botswana illegally are on Interpol’s wanted list.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Chief Magistrate Ms Kamogelo Mmesi said an Interpol warrant links the six to alleged trafficking and dealing in illegal substances in Mozambique, despite their claims of ignorance of the warrant.

Ms Mmesi noted that, according to the warrant, the offences the accused faced in Mozambique could attract prison terms of up to 20 years if found guilty. She added that information before the court suggested the accused could be part of a major transnational criminal syndicate based in Mexico.

The magistrate said the court was therefore compelled to impose a punitive sentence that would serve as a deterrent to illegal entry into the country. She emphasised that entering the country illegally was a serious offence that compromised national security.

The law, she noted, prescribes a penalty of up to P10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, or both, underscoring the gravity of the offence. Ms Mmesi said illegal entry not only violated the country’s security but was often associated with organised criminal activities, warranting a fitting sentence.

In mitigation, the accused pleaded for leniency, stating they were unfamiliar with Botswana’s laws and believed they were not required to stamp their passports upon entry. They told the court they were transiting from Mozambique to Mexico and were unaware that they were wanted by Mozambican authorities for alleged criminal activities.

They further argued that while in Botswana, they neither committed nor intended to commit any offence. However, Ms Mmesi pointed out that the accused’s passports showed they entered South Africa through OR Tambo International Airport from Mozambique on November 6, 2023.

“The convicts say they were in transit to Mexico but failed to state where they had been in two years,” she said adding that they only surfaced in Botswana in November, when they wanted their passports to be stamped, reasoning that such was omitted upon their entry into the country.

The magistrate ruled that failure to pay the P5,000 fine would result in five-year imprisonment term. She backdated the sentence to the date of their incarceration.

The six – Gumecindo Enrique, Jose Pena, Fansico Alejandro, Jose Corrales, Carlos Aguilar and David Teran, were arrested on November 25 last year together with a Nigerian national, Uchema Njoku (53), who has been charged with aiding and abetting crime.

The state was represented by Prosecutor Ms Keletso Kgati, while the six were represented by Mr Malcolm Ghoboza. Mr Njoku is represented by Mr Farayi Mahwite. BOPA