An organized cross border criminal syndicate has stolen cheques worth P 2 million from the Kanye Land Board and deposited them with various commercial banks in South Africa ÔÇô Sunday Standard has been informed.
It is reported that a Ugandan man who is resident in South Africa connived with a land board officer, believed to be his girlfriend, and defrauded the Kanye Land board of the money.
The suspect came to Botswana a few days before the cheques disappeared and was arrested in Mochudi as he masqueraded as a traditional doctor.
Detective Assistant Superintendent Mmoloki Loeto of Sejelo police station in Kanye told Sunday Standard that they are investigating a case in which cheques amounting to P2 million were stolen from Kanye Land board recently.
He said that they are holding a 30-year-old Ugandan national who could be the prime suspect.
He explained that the land board official who is employed as a messenger had some official cheques with her which she was supposed to deliver to the land board. She, however, took them home with her and reported them stolen the following day.
The stolen cheques later surfaced at various commercial banks in South Africa. The police managed to intercept some of the cheques, recovering P1 million while the rest of the money had already been withdrawn.
“This was the work of an organized cross boarder crime network and we are working with our counterparts in South Africa who are also assisting us with the investigations,” he said
He said they expected to arrest more suspects in-connection with the case.
