Armed Robbers Out On The Prowl
Pini Bothoko | Monday May 28, 2018 13:33
Even though armed robbers no longer get away without a trace with police having intensified their investigations, perpetrators appear to be adamant about their mission to steal people’s hard earned belongings, as armed robbery cases are reported on a daily basis.
Residents are living in dread and no longer enjoy being home for fear of armed robbers who at times attack, rob and rape.
Police have warned members of the public to be wary of gangs of armed robbers who appear to have mounted a spate of heists particularly in and around Gaborone in a new crime wave that is targeting businesses and homes.
The warning comes as the dangerous robbers have attacked a woman in her sleep at Tsolamosese last Thursday robbing her of properties worth around P17,200.
The four armed robbers allegedly attacked the woman whilst sleeping, rousing her to the threat on her life with a sharp object, taking all of her electronic equipment including her cellphone, laptop, plasma television set, cylinder, just to mention a few.
That same early morning, another report came in that armed robbers broke into Township Rollers office at CA Sales complex making off with P800,000 and other valuables.
The armed robbers allegedly covered their faces with masks, held the security guards at gunpoint before ransacking the building for cash. Investigations on the matters are ongoing as the perpetrators are still on the loose.
That same day it was also reported that armed robbers almost hit Pula Spar filling station, but luckily the police were within the vicinity interrupting their heist. A week ago on Saturday evening it was reported that armed robbers nearly hit Sefalana, but luckily the police managed to respond in time, as they were in the vicinity.
Officer Commanding, senior Superintendent Counsel Moyo, told The Monitor that armed robbers are on the prowl pleading with members of the public to be on the lookout and discouraged them from keeping large sums of money in their possession.
Moyo has expressed concern with the increase in armed robbery cases in Gaborone and surrounding areas stating that people are being attacked, especially at night on a daily basis.
“We (police) are concerned with cases of armed robbery that of late have been occurring in homesteads and business premises,” he said.
He urged the public to intensify the security of their houses and businesses to consider engaging reputable security companies as well as to deposit their money in banks before the end of business daily.
Moyo said armed robbers usually target places where they know large sums of money are kept and then pounce on their unsuspecting victims threatening them with dangerous objects like guns in most instances.
However, some Batswana across social media platforms have been attributing the alarming rise in crime to the country’s high unemployment rate, especially amongst youth of the same age group that has been identified as the typical ‘perpetrators’.
Recently the police announced that even though crime has relatively decreased by 3.7 percent in the last year housebreaking has increased by four percent. To curb this trend, the police have vowed to intensify their patrols and investigations to bring offenders to book promising the larger public that they intend to “always get their man”.