Walvis Bay
Excellent detective work by the Namibian Police in Erongo Region has led to the recovery of 14 imported second-hand vehicles and the arrest of four suspects.
The recovered vehicles worth close to N$1 million were stolen from the second-hand vehicle dealership, Jan Japan, at Walvis Bay and sold through dubious deals by the suspects, some of whom are former employees of the dealership, since late last year.
However, the dubious sales were only discovered on April 27 when the dealership changed its management at Walvis Bay during stocktaking.
The second-hand car dealership imports vehicles from Japan and the United Kingdom and resells them in Namibia at comparatively low prices.
The police chief in the Erongo Region, Commissioner Samuel //Hoebeb, said the last three outstanding vehicles were recovered earlier last week, bringing the total to 14.
“Of the vehicles, five were recovered from Rundu, two from Okalondo in the Ohangwena Region, one each from Keetmanshoop, Gobabis, Otjiwarongo, and four from Walvis Bay,” he said.
“As you can see, these vehicles were sold to people from all over the country.”
He added that at least 15 witnesses, some of whom were buyers, would be interviewed to speed up the prosecution of the case while establishing the role these witnesses played during the transactions.
A former manager of the dealership, James Lewis, is the alleged kingpin in the sale of the vehicles. He is suspected to have got all 14 vehicles from warehouses in Walvis Bay then sold them cheaply to individuals across the country. Two of the vehicles were earlier found in Lewis’s possession and one belonged to his girlfriend.
Other two suspects – a former employee and a friend – were also arrested earlier in Walvis Bay in connection with the theft. They are 27-year-old Christiaan Christoph and 31-year-old Kaulitu Fransisco Mathias.
The name of the fourth suspect could not be established by yesterday afternoon.