2018-07-24Staff Report 2 Selma Ikela WINDHOEK - Police arrested four suspected drug dealers and confiscated drugs worth N$200 000 from a house in Windhoek’s leafy suburb of Kleine Kuppe during an operation early last Friday morning. The suspects are charged with six counts, including assault of a police officer, pointing of firearm, attempt to escape from lawful custody and for contravening the Medicines and Pharmacy Act. The four appeared in Windhoek’s Magistrate Court yesterday afternoon and were denied bail. They are Namibian Buruxa Butkus, 30, German national Verena Sazmann, 30, South African Wesley Welgemoed, 19, and Lee Douglas Surtees, 19, a British national. According to Chief Inspector Kauna Shikwambi, head of media relations in the police public relation division, Butkus has been admitted in Windhoek Central Hospital after he became ill. Shikwambi said the police had a successful operation following an intelligence-led operation. “The members raided a house of an alleged drug dealer and various types of drugs were found and confiscated,” remarked Shikwambi. The confiscated drugs are steroids and needles, cocaine, cat (methcathinone), skunk, MDMA, LSD, ecstasy, Schedule 5 medicines and magic mushrooms. Shikwambi added that a firearm and ammunition as well as a cellphone found with the suspects was confiscated. In similar police success reports, two men were arrested at Okahandja service station on Saturday afternoon after they were found in possession of one live pangolin and two pangolin skins valued at N$150 000. Shikwambi said the men aged 24 and 29 were charged with possession of and dealing with controlled wildlife products. Police also arrested a Chinese national, 47, found in possession of US$215 900 concealed in his luggage and various denominations in (Rand, US$, Yuan and Nam dollars) estimated to be over N$100 000. He was expected to appear in Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The suspect was heading to China and he allegedly failed to declare the money to the authority at the airport as required by law. Shikwambi added the money was confiscated and taken to the relevant office for safekeeping and police investigations continue. 2018-07-24Staff Report 2
