By Roland Routh
WINDHOEK – The Windhoek City Police has issued a strong warning to house burglars that they will be dealt with severely.
City Police Superintendent Gerry Shikesho, issued the warning yesterday in reaction to enquiries from New Era about the arrest and detention of three men found in possession of tools suspected to be used in house burglaries.
Shikesho said it is illegal to possess tools such as crowbars, iron cutters and hacksaws late at night in an area where one does not live.
Shikesho said the City Police would not open a case against the three as the tools were not found on their bodies, but in the boot of their car despite the fact they are known burglars.
He said although no crime was committed, the intention to commit one was there hence the City Police’s reaction by detaining them.
He told New Era two of the men were currently on bail on housebreaking related charges.
He said they informed the investigating officers of the two cases for possible further action including the possible cancellation of their bail.
Prominent Windhoek-based lawyer, James Diedericks, told New Era on enquiry that although there is no law that prohibits anyone from possessing such tools, the police are entitled to detain anyone on reasonable suspicion.
He said should police come across anyone suspicious, they had a right to hold such a person on suspicion for 48 hours without charging that person.
He also said that in most of these instances the person(s) arrested will be released after the 48-hour period as there would be no complainant.
NamPol spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi said possessing a crowbar itself is not a crime, but if such a tool is found on someone who is linked to housebreaking, a reasonable suspicion exists that the crowbar was going to be used in the commissioning of a crime.
He said police would then take the fingerprints of the arrested person(s) and if they matched any taken at a crime scene that person can be charged.
He further said that if such a person is free on bail on another housebreaking charge, the police can ask the prosecutor to apply for the cancellation of bail, but that would also depend on the magistrate or judge.
The three men were arrested and briefly detained on Tuesday morning at about 01H00 after they were found driving slowly through the Eros suburb by a City Police routine patrol car.
Police said when they searched the Toyota Corolla sedan, with an Oshakati registration number plate that the three men were driving, they found crowbars, cutters, a hacksaw, a screwdriver and three balaclavas.
On enquiry the suspects told the City Police that they were working and were going to use the tools in their work.