There was a heavy police presence at Tlokweng border post on Monday as South African authorities handed over five fugitives wanted in Botswana in a session that lasted for about ten minutes.
For the last two years, the Directorate of Public Prosecution has been fighting for the extradition of the men: three Batswana, a South African and a Zambian who were allegedly involved in motor vehicle thefts that were illegally taken to South Africa from Botswana.
The fugitives, Sefelane Shokwa, Ferese Garayi, Ekuas Mpofu, Joseph Machala and Jokoeya Chaka, have been held in South African cells for almost three years after they were arrested by the South African Police after being found in possession of stolen goods, apparently stolen from outside South Africa.
After they went through the formalities of immigration at the Tlokweng border post, the fugitives were rushed to the Gaborone Village Magistrate Court where they were charged with three counts of motor vehicle theft.
The case prosecutor Thato Dibeela of DPP told the court that the suspects had just been extradited from South Africa after spending almost three years in South African custody.
She told the court that the suspects were arrested by the South African police after they were found in-possession of stolen goods.
Three of the suspects have pleaded not guilty to all counts while two of the accused did not take a plea as there was no translator during the proceedings.