18 Mar 2014

The Gaborone West policing area has been hit by an increase in motor vehicle theft.

Since the beginning of this year, about 15 vehicles were stolen and none of them was recovered. The station commander, Superintendent Agreement Mapeu confirmed in an interview that his policing area was witnessing a steady increase in motor vehicles theft.

He said the targeted model was mostly the Toyota, particularly Corolla and Runnex type and that it appeared a lucrative market for stolen vehicles was active in neighbouring countries.

He said since January to date, six Corollas and five Runnex were stolen with the remaining numbers being BMW and Audi. He said only one of the stolen vehicles, an Audi, was recovered and was found abandoned and no one had been arrested in relation to all the 15 missing vehicles.

Superintendent Mapeu further explained that most of the hot spots from where vehicles were frequently stolen were homesteads, flats of Phase Four, Block 5 and Block 9 in Gaborone.

The station commander appealed to dwellers of these places to hire security companies to look after their premises at night or install devices to secure their vehicles. ENDS