Botswana has praised Zimbabwean law enforcement following the successful recovery of a car stolen during a recent armed robbery in Matsiloje Village.
The vehicle, worth over P590,000, was tracked and recovered in Zimbabwe’s Matabeleland South province after a coordinated operation between the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The robbery occurred in the early hours of May 1, 2025, when three unidentified assailants forcibly took the vehicle from a woman in the northeastern Botswana village.
Assistant Commissioner Near Bagali, spokesperson for the BPS, confirmed that swift investigations led to intelligence indicating the vehicle had been smuggled into Zimbabwe. The ZRP was promptly engaged and helped trace the stolen Hilux to the Figtree area, where it was recovered.
Efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the suspects, who remain at large. Authorities are also working to return the vehicle to Botswana and reunite it with its owner.
Bagali lauded the effective collaboration between the two countries’ police forces, emphasizing the importance of continued cross-border cooperation in tackling regional crime. The incident has reignited discussions on strengthening regional security frameworks to combat vehicle theft and other transnational offenses.