Tshesebe police arrest tobacco smuggling suspects

Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Thursday April 9, 2020 16:41

 

Tshesebe police arrest tobacco smuggling suspects

When confirming the incident Tshesebe police station commander Amos Kekgathetse said they have caught two individuals red-handed by the border trying to smuggle cigarettes from Zimbabwe into Botswana. 

He said that the arrest was proof that some people were smuggling cigarettes from Zimbabwe and selling them illegally to locals. 

Kekgathetse added that investigations on the matter are still ongoing and the culprits are put behind bars. 

He also said: “I would like to warn all the cigarettes smugglers that if we catch them, they will face the law”. 

The police boss further said that they have also arrested a person who was illegally selling traditional beer to some of the villagers.

He was also concerned about a number of people in their policing area who came to their offices looking for permits to travel to Francistown.

He added: “Most of them wanted the permits so that they can go to the bank and get their monthly salaries and purchase essentials such as food”.

Kekgathetse has however, commended residents in their policing area for their impressive compliance with the lockdown requirements. 

He said that such gesture shown by the villagers demonstrates a sense of being civil and law-abiding citizens.

For his part, Tutume police station commander Jerry Halahala told this publication that since the beginning of the lockdown restrictions, until day six, they have not arrested any border jumpers in Maitengwe village, which is situated near the border with Zimbabwe and within their policing area. 

He believes that the movement of the illegal immigrants was restricted by the lockdown in both Zimbabwe and Botswana.

Halahala added: “As you know, both Botswana and Zimbabwe are on a national lockdown countrywide, maybe that is why we have not caught any border jumpers”.