The last two years have seen an influx of United Kingdom (UK) motor vehicles into Botswana, a fact that has now turned into a nightmare for some locals who purchased those vehicles.
More than a year after placing their orders, some customers are still waiting for their vehicles to be delivered.
It is reported that some Batswana who are based in the UK have set up a number of agencies that export UK vehicles to Botswana but end up defrauding local customers, who purchase vehicles through their agencies, of huge amounts of money.
Police are now unable to cope with the cases as British authorities are reluctant to assist in tracing the culprits.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Superintendent Phenyoetsele Nnanaakoko of the Serious Crimes Squad said that his office is investigating several cases in which locals who purchased UK vehicles through the internet or agents have not yet received their vehicles.
He said there are several customers who have been waiting for their cars for almost a year and there is nothing to indicate that they will take delivery of the ordered cars.
Nnanaakolo added that what they have discovered is that there are some Batswana who are based in the UK who claim to assist locals to buy cars through their agencies but when the customers have transferred the said amount, the vehicles are never delivered.
“We are overwhelmed by these cases and it is difficult to tell if my office will resolve the cases in the near future,” Nnanaakolo said. “We have sought assistance from our counterparts in the UK through Interpol but the process is very slow, which, in a way, makes our investigations very difficult.”
He assured the nation that, as the police, they will do their best to track down the culprits and warned the public to be careful when making such purchases.
