Detectives investigating the N$1.3 million cash-in-transit heist have so far recovered a newly-bought red Volkswagen Golf GTI worth N$104 000 from one of the suspects involved in the robbery.
On Monday, Martin Leonard Elago (40) and Simon Lukas (39) appeared in court in connection with the heist that occurred at Nedbank’s Black Chain Shopping Mall branch in Katutura early this month, which later led to the recovery of N$31 800 cash and a car the suspects had allegedly bought with stolen money.
They are also being charged with illegal possession of a firearm, which was allegedly used in the heist and got confiscated upon Elago’s arrest.
“The first suspect to be arrested was Lukas, who was intercepted in the Okalongo constituency in the Omusati region, while Elago was arrested in Windhoek. He was found with new notes of packed money and drugs. Lukas was not found with money, but bought a new red GTI vehicle that has already been impounded by the police,” Khomas police commander Ismael Basson told journalists yesterday.
He assured the nation that there are more recoveries to be made, as the Polo which was used as a getaway vehicle in the commission of the crime of robbery has been recovered, and two more suspects will be arrested soon.
The commissioner said they are adamant that more recoveries will be made as they have concrete information on who was given some money, and what it was used for.
“There are some people who were found with money, but they are not yet arrested as they were not part of the robbery but were only given the loot by the criminals. But we will recover more money as information has started reaching the investigating officers,” he added.
The two suspects were not asked to plead when they appeared in court on Monday, and their case was postponed to 13 April for further police investigations.
Previously, police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said a 36-year-old security guard and his colleague were transporting money from the Nedbank business centre in Ausspannplatz, dropped some of it at the Nedbank branch at Avani Hotel in Independence Avenue, and then proceeded to Nedbank’s Black Chain branch.
“When they arrived at the Nedbank branch at Black Chain, they got out of their vehicle. The complainant opened the van door and removed two boxes of cash to take it inside the bank. With his colleague guarding him, three armed suspects started firing shots at them, of which one shot struck the security guard and another vehicle belonging to Nashua on the bonnet,” she explained.
The suspects managed to take the boxes containing the cash of N$1 360 000, and fled the scene in a white Volkswagen Polo sedan.
In another incident, the police arrested four suspects at a house in Black Rock Street, Rocky Crest, for dealing in cannabis on Monday.
The suspects were found in possession of 8 425 grams of cannabis valued at N$421 250, as well as N$7 333.10 in cash.
They appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. Three were granted bail, while one was remanded in custody.