BOTSWANA

Addressing serious crime in Southern Africa

Botswana’s priority crime areas include environmental crime (particularly the smuggling of protected wildlife products such as elephant tusks), stolen motor vehicles, drug trafficking and cybercrime. Emerging human trafficking crime is also an increasing concern for police authorities.

The international nature of these crimes make it essential for Botswana’s police to be able to cooperate globally with other law enforcement officials.

The role of INTERPOL’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Gaborone is therefore crucial to maintaining regional security. It draws on our capabilities to help Botswana to identify, investigate and prevent the cross-border organized crime which affects it.

INTERPOL in Botswana

NCB Gaborone is the lead police platform for national investigations requiring input from other police forces across the globe.

It is part of the Criminal Investigation department of the Botswana Police Service and is based in their headquarters in central Gaborone. It is staffed by 14 officers.

The NCB updates our global databases with intelligence provided by police departments as a result of their arrests, investigations and operations. Inversely, it provides the BPS with the criminal intelligence it needs to conduct national investigations that have a global link.

The NCB regularly takes part in fugitive investigations involving Botswana or its citizens, and helps countries to locate and identify people reported as missing in Botswana.

Botswana Police Service

The Botswana Police Service is part of the Ministry of Defence, Justice and Security.

With a strength of around 9,500 officers, it is headed by a Commissioner who is assisted by three Deputy Commissioners in charge of Operations, Support and Criminal Investigations respectively.