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Mr Abedinico Ndebele ruled that Blessed Manisa (37), Thato Marope (31) and Ontlametse Monageng (30) should be extradited in terms of Section 4 of the Extradition Act, Chapter 9:08.

Manisa of 118 White City, Marope of 11096 Block 7 and Monageng of 30 Blue Town, all in Francistown, were arrested in Zimbabwe last year after being found in possession of two of the stolen vehicles.

They had allegedly smuggled them through an undesignated entry point.

The ruling stated that the two vehicles, which were recovered in Zimbabwe should be handed over to Botswana police while the accused persons should be handed over to the neighbouring country’s authorities at Ramokgwebana Border Post.

The three are facing a charge of robbing security guards at Tati Land Board premises in Masunga in the neighbouring country at gunpoint and stealing four vehicles on 1 May last year.

Two of the vehicles were allegedly recovered in Zimbabwe where they had been given to Mr Sikhumbuzo Dube to sell on behalf of the accused.

The three suspected armed robbers allegedly pounced on the security guards and threatened them with a pistol before tying them with wire.

It is alleged that they then stole vehicle keys, which were in a guard room and probably with the assistance of a  fourth person, drove away in four vehicles namely two Toyota Hilux double cabs,a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Toyota Fortuner.

The vehicles had a combined value of $130 000, an equivalent of P910, 000.

Testifying in court last year, Mr Dube said he had known Manisa for six months, as he would sometimes ask him to sell some mining equipment on his behalf.

He said as for the other two accused, he knew them as Manisa’s friends until on 3 May when Manisa phoned him saying he had some business for him.

Mr Dube said Manisa, Marope and Monageng visited his house driving a Toyota Hilux, which they said belonged to Nyathi, who was in their company, adding that the vehicle was for sale.

He alleged that they later brought another one, a Toyota Land Cruiser, which was registered under the name of a Mr Abraham Chikozho, of Harare and promised to bring registration documents for the Hilux and an affidavit from Mr Chikozho.

Both vehicles had forged Zimbabwean registration numbers.

Mr Dube said he drove the vehicles to Lower Gweru where he operates a mine so that he could get buyers and was later arrested in Bulawayo upon which he implicated the trio.

Manias, Marope and Monageng were arrested at Mr Dube’s house after detectives from the Criminal Investigation Department Frauds Section set a trap.