Malawian Arrested in Botswana with Contraband of Cigarettes Worth K10 Million (Pictures)

A 36-year-old Malawian man has been arrested in Botswana after being found to be in possession of illegal cigarettes worth P168,000 (over K10 Million).

The Botswana Police Service’s (BPS) public relations officer, Assistant Commissioner Dipheko Motube said the man was busted after a tip off yesterday. He said they received information that cigarettes were being illegally sold despite a recent lockdown ban by government as one of the preventative measures for the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Upon arrival, Motube said they found the man in possession of 50 boxes of cigarettes some hidden in a deep freezer. He said when searching the yard they discovered other cigarettes hidden underground.

“The suspect currently in police custody had dug a big hole in the back of his yard and concealed a large some of the cigarettes. Looking at the quantity of the cigarettes we suspect he is a supplier. The cigarettes are from across the border and the suspect managed to smuggle them into the country,” he said.

Motube said they also discovered that the suspect managed to smuggle into despite the country being in lockdown with restrictions barring movement, including across borders, now closed.

“Cigarettes are not indigenous, the question is how did they get into the country and what does it mean. It shows that despite the ban some people continue to sell cigarettes, some move from one place to another to buy them, disobeying the government’s directive,” Motube said.

He said cigarette use increases the likelihood of getting infected with the coronavirus because it is something that people share thus putting them at high risk of being infected by the virus. Motube called on members of the public to obey the lockdown and avoid unnecessary movement to curb the spread of the virus.

He said even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concerns that smokers are likely to be more vulnerable to COVID-19 due to frequent hand-mouth contact and lung disease or reduced lung capacity as smoking greatly increases the risk of serious illness.

Taking the WHO warning seriously, Botswana imposed a ban on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol during the lockdown.