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Home / Chinese nationals robbed three times in one week
Chinese nationals robbed three times in one week
2015-08-21Staff Report 2 "Windhoek Ten Chinese nationals, who suffered three breaks-ins last week at their home in Ludwigsdorf called on the police to fight crime and to make the country safe for expatriates. The reported break-ins took place on August 9, August 11 and on August 13, and allegedly involved a gang of burglars. During the first incident only three armed robbers were involved, but the number increased to nine during the last attack. The house that was targeted has closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed and there is video footage of all three incidents. In the footage the robbers can be seen carrying valuables and holding sharp objects in their hands. In a statement issued by ZTE MD in Namibia, James Lee, who shares a house with nine other Chinese nationals, including company employees and family members, asked police to protect them from the gang of unknown burglars. ZTE is a Chinese corporation that provides telecommunications equipment and services across the world, including Namibia. The last break-in on August 13 involved nine men, armed with knives and sticks, who stole a laptop, Ipad, cellphones and Audi cars keys. They also took Lee’s wife’s handbag, containing N$40 000 in Namibian and Chinese currency. Lee said the thieves stabbed one wheel of each of three parked cars in the yard before entering the house, so that the victims could not follow them. The armed robbery on August 13 happened seven minutes after the security guard knocked off at 19h00. There were 17 people in the house on that particular evening. “Even though, after two break-ins, we reinforced the gate the burglars used some tools to break the gate. Five of them lifted the gate together and made a gap to enter,” Lee said. He suspects that the men are habitual criminals, as they had allegedly also robbed his neighbours. He said they went to a room downstairs and held a mother and three children hostage, while the father was locked in the bathroom. “One of the children went out of the room and they beat the child. The child went to the second floor and alerted the other people in the house. When we heard about this, we went down to the first floor and they attacked one of our colleagues before fleeing,” Lee reported. “We immediately informed the Neighbourhood Watch and they helped us to apprehend one burglar as he was trying to escape through the riverbed,” Lee said, adding that another suspect was arrested two days later. Seven still remain at large. During the first attack the robbers changed the gate motor function to manual, then lifted the front gate to enter. Lee said they also stole about 70 items of clothes. “From the camera, we can also see there was another guy outside the house watching over for these guys,” Lee said. " 2015-08-21Staff Report 2
