No escape for cross-border criminals

LEONARD NEILL MOZAMBICAN CRIMINALS involved in organised cross-border crime will no longer be able to escape justice in South Africa by dashing back to safety in their own country. From September 10 a new agreement between the two countries comes into effect which permits SA authorities to pursue them and hand them over to Mozambican police for prosecution. The agreement will have far-reaching benefits for law enforcement in SA, says National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) chief advocate Vusi Pikoli. Now Mozambicans involved in cross-border smuggling can be either caught in this country or traced back across the border. “Criminals have no respect for borders,” he says. “There is a lot of cross-border crime taking place.”