Armed robberies on downward spiral as cops clamp down on syndicates

The arrest of the notorious Aldophus Legae (23) in North West, South Africa this past Sunday has brought hope that a crime syndicate that has been operating across the country will be busted. According to Botswana Police spokesperson Witness Bosija, the other six suspects arrested in Gaborone last week could be implicated in a series of crimes ranging from rape, armed robbery (largely businesses) and car hijackings.

Despite the recent wave of armed robbery incidents across the country, statistics from the Botswana Police indicate a decline in the number of cases. According to Bosija, police are working around the clock to bust and arrest suspected syndicates in the series of violent crimes that have left Batswana reeling in shock, as such criminal activities where guns are used are not common in the country.

Bosija says that they are confident that they are on the right path following the arrest of six suspects who could be part of a crime syndicate that hit several stores and committed other crimes including hijackings and vehicle stealing.

In an interview yesterday, Bosija said that they have recorded a 13percent reduction in armed robberies over the past few years despite wide speculation that the cases have increased. He also expressed confidence that they are working hard to arrest the suspects. “Looking at the fact that we are halfway through the year, we are confident that we are doing our best to arrest the implicated suspects in the spate of criminal activities that have taken place across the country,” he said.

Bosija also noted that the arrest of Legae was indication that his team is committed to fighting crime. Legae, a hunted fugitive was being investigated for several offences such as rape and armed robbery cases. He is also a suspect in a robbery that happened at Choppies Supermarket in Block 8 last month in which the armed robbers made away with P112 000 and close to R13 000.

Legae was arrested by the South African Police where he is suspected to have been hiding since the robbery. He said they are still processing legal documents to have Legae extradited to Botswana after which he will be brought before the law. Boseja refrained from giving out further details about Legae’s arrest and his condition, saying he was arrested in a foreign country and does not want to interfere with the extradition process.

Meanwhile his partner in crime in the Choppies robbery, Mogomotsi Thupane of Moshupa was arrested in Gaborone earlier this month and according to reports, the police recovered P38 000 from him. The duo is also suspected to have been involved in an incident in which a woman of Kanye was allegedly shot last month. With investigations still ongoing, they are also likely to be implicated in an armed robbery case at Saverite Supermarket in Moshupa as well.