DRUG AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING INTERSECT, ENDANGERING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN BOTSWANA.

Article By: Phenyo Babusi

In Botswana, the line between drug trafficking and human trafficking is increasingly blurred, revealing a disturbing reality for vulnerable populations, especially young girls and women. While these crimes may seem separate, they often intersect in a cycle of exploitation driven by profit and manipulation. 

The crisis is worsened by poverty, addiction, and stigma, requiring urgent community action and support for survivors.

Boyson Mokone, founder of Youth of Hope Safe Haven, says victims are often turned into drug mules—stripped of identity, threatened, or drugged into submission.

He cites areas like GUSD’s Brown Gate as trafficking hotspots, adding that Botswana’s location makes it vulnerable as a regional transit point.