Police Can’t Keep Up With Cross-Border Drug Smuggling
Drug mules are keeping police officers along the Botswana-South Africa borderlines on their toes as they continue to find their way to bring the illicit substances into the country despite efforts to curb the scourge.
For years, Botswana Police Service (BPS) has been battling to contain the rising cases of dagga smuggling, despite police presence along the borders.
Good Hope Police Station commander, Superintendent Mogomotsi Kwapa told The Monitor they are unable to keep up with the increasing drugs smuggled from South Africa.
He revealed that the use of dagga remains a concern in Botswana as they record a case of dagga smuggling every two weeks.
He bemoaned that together with the Ramatlabama Police, they are unable to keep up with the rising drug smuggling incidents from the neighbouring country.
Kwapa raised the concern following the recent arrest of three Batswana in possession of illicit substances suspected to be dagga. He said the trio aged 26, 30 and 31 years were arrested with a large bag of the substance that looked like dagga inside their Toyota Hilux Surf at a roadblock at Metlojane. Kwapa revealed the men’s interception followed a tip-off from members of the community to the police after the suspects were seen loading a suspiciously large bag into their car at Mokatakwe.
“Following the tip-off the police made a road block at Ramatlabama and PitsaneMolopo junction. Upon the trio’s arrival the police stopped and searched their car and retrieved the said big bag containing 11 rolls of substances suspected to be dagga,” he said.
He added the 11 bags are estimated to have a street value of P25,000. Kwapa said the suspects are currently in police custody whilst the police investigations into the matter are ongoing. He stated that the illicit substances have been taken to the laboratory for further tests.
He stated that they recently had a similar case in which two men were arrested in possession of 242 packages of dagga also smuggled from South Africa.
Kwapa added it is of great concern that the country is currently battling with the coronavirus (COVID-19), but there are Batswana who continue to endanger their lives and put the nation at risk by smuggling drugs into the country.
“South Africa currently has a high number of people who have tested positive of COVID-19 hence the suspects have risked their lives and in the process put the whole nation at risk. They do not know if the people they have collected the bag from have tested for COVID-19 or not,” he bemoaned.
He added when interrogating the suspects who claim to be residing at Gabane and Ramotswa they said they were heading to Gaborone with the substance. Kwapa said every two weeks they arrest new suspects, a majority of who are Batswana who might have turned to drugs smuggling as a business.