SWAKOPMUND – Armed robbers looted valuable items and cash amounting to N$668 000 in a spate of robberies targeting senior citizens, tourists and foreigners at Omaruru last weekend.
Police in the Erongo Region report that at least four people, all foreigners with permanent residency, were robbed at the town. Erongo police crime coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Erastus Iikuyu, during the weekend’s crime briefing indicated that the first robbery took place on Thursday evening around 22h45 when a 75-year-old woman’s house was broken into by unknown suspects.
The victim was tied up while the suspects ransacked her house and stole jewellery as well as two Kruger Rand coins.
According to Iikuyu the said stolen items are worth N$200 000. No one was arrested yet in connection with the robbery. He says the second robbery took place on Saturday midnight with two unknown suspects removing aluminium window frames of an accommodation facility at the Omaruru Game Lodge, where an elderly couple from Switzerland were sleeping.
“This time around the suspects allegedly woke the couple up and threatened them with a knife before they took off with N$1 000 in cash, a golden Rolex watch valued at N$350 000, two iPhones as well as other valued items,” he said.
He said the couple’s lossed are calculated to be around N$418 000.
In the third robbery, a South African man who is farming at plot Okakambo near Omaruru was overpowered by four suspects.
According to Nampol the man allegedly forgot to lock his security gate on Saturday evening, resulting in the four suspects gaining access to his home.
“Four masked suspects allegedly held him at gunpoint, tied him up and stole items including a laptop, two phones, a Breitling watch valued N$30 000 among others. The total worth of items stolen is said to be around N$54 000,” Iikuyu said.
Police yesterday could not confirm whether the robberies are connected to each other, however requested anyone with information that could lead to the arrests of the criminals to contact the nearest police station or Deputy Commissioner Iikuyu at 0812464757 or 0812565757.