Police To Fight Drugs and Human Trafficking
Pini Bothoko | Monday February 20, 2017 15:39
The police made the resolution during the just ended 45th Botswana Police Senior Officers Annual Conference that was held at Special Support Group (SSG) Band Hall in Gaborone.
The five days conference was held under the theme, ‘Towards safer and secure communities: 2017 and beyond’.
The police also resolved to intensify public education for communities living along the border as well as intensifying border patrols.
Delivering his welcome remarks during the official opening of the conference, the Botswana Police Service (BPS) commissioner Keabetswe Makgophe stated that increasing consumption or use of drugs especially dagga, cocaine and methcatinone by the young population was an area of a concern.
He stated that they continue to arrest suspects as well as confiscate large consignments of trafficked drugs, both at ports of entry and inland, due to concerted and focused efforts by the police and other law enforcement agencies.
Makgophe disclosed that a total of 1053.4 kg of dagga was seized resulting in 915 arrests in 2016 as compared to 253.6 kg and 777 arrests in 2015.
He added: “I would like to thank members of the public and stakeholders for their continued support in our fight against crime. This is an invaluable contribution that we cherish”.
When closing the conference last Friday, Makgophe said he was concerned by the use of drugs in schools.
He said despite their continued efforts to fight drugs, they still find their way into schools something, that is of great concern and needs everyone’s intervention.
Makgophe said following this, they have been working closely with the Ministry of Basic Education.
“We have been visiting schools to educate students on the dangers of using drugs. We are also working hard to identify the drug suppliers. There are some people who are known to be suppliers hence the need to keep an eye on them to establish if they are the ones who supply students with drugs,” Makgophe said.
He said some people known to be suppliers have been taken to the courts and with some of their cases still pending they might be still continuing with their businesses.
“We will put more focus on them but not only to arrest them, but also to use instruments of crime Act. We intend to look at their source of income and confiscate their assets when arrested,” Makgophe said.
He said that they have in the past arrested foreign nationals for bringing drugs into the country and took them to the courts where some of their cases are still pending.
Addressing human trafficking, Makgophe said they have registered 12 reported cases and do not know of those that have not been reported, hence calling for members of the public’s help in curbing human trafficking.
He said that the human trafficking offence is still new in Botswana and as the police they are still empowering themselves on how best to tackle it.
Makgophe pleaded with members of the public to help them towards any suspicion of human tracking.