Tujoromajo Kasuto
With only a week into the New Year, there were already an increase in theft, including numerous housebreaking cases and robberies with aggravating circumstances.
The majority of these are concentrated in the capital and the northern towns. The stolen household goods are valued at around N$210 000 and have been stolen in separate incidents since New Year’s Eve. According to the police crime weekend report, a man remained in the Pep Store, at Wernhil Mall, in Windhoek on Friday, 07 January 2022 at about 19h00 as the last client while the doors were locked because it was closing time. He shopped for a few school stationaries and had them scanned by a 28-year old woman cashier, and upon request for payment, the suspect requested his backpack that was kept at the parcel counter.
The man took the bag and pretended to take out the money, whereupon he suddenly pulled out a pistol, pointed it at the cashier, and demanded money. The suspect got away with N$10,900.00 and nothing else was taken. No injuries were reported and police investigations are on-going into the matter.
In a separate incident in Windhoek, on Sunday, 9 January 2022, at around 02:00 in Cleopatra Street, Dorado Valley, our suspects, one of whom was armed with a firearm, cut the electrical fence as well as burglar bars, gained entry to a house, and took the following items: One Hisense television, two laptops, three cell phones, and jewelry. As of yet, no recovery and no arrests have been made.
Meanwhile, in Klein Windhoek, on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at about 12h00 PM, Bowker Street, suspects are alleged to have lifted the main gate from the motor to access a property, broke open the garage and store room and stole items of the estimated value N $15 000.00. All stolen properties were recovered, and six male suspects were arrested. They are due to appear in court tomorrow and police investigation continues.
In another instance of housebreaking on Saturday, 8 January at about 15:40 in David Goeieman Street, in Khomasdal, an unknown suspect(s) allegedly broke into a house and stole items valued at N$48, 000.00 None were recovered. The suspect has not been arrested yet, and police investigation continues.
In Otavi on Friday, 7 January, it is alleged a man removed his fire arms from the safe for cleaning purposes. Since he had not finished cleaning them, he put the fire arms in the spare bedroom of his house in the cupboard so that he could clean them the following day. Thereafter he left the house with wife to have supper at the Deuch club, and upon returning home at 21:15 the firearms, five were gone totaling N $71 000.00. Police investigation continues and the suspect(s) have not been apprehended with no recoveries.
In another house breaking between November 2021 and January 2022, an unknown time in block-G, Rehoboth, it is alleged that a suspect used an unknown object to break the back door and gain entrance and stole the following items of a a total value of N $20 000.00.
