Staff Reporter
Windhoek-A four-man gang, suspected to be part of a group behind a spate of armed robberies and theft of ATM cards from Windhoek residents, was arrested on Wednesday night following a shootout with the City Police.
The four men were arrested after they robbed two Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) students of their cellphones at knifepoint.
The City Police also impounded three Volkswagen Polo vehicles the group used to commit the crimes. The Polo vehicles either belong to relatives or acquaintances. One of the cars belongs to one suspect’s girlfriend. The police are looking for a Toyota Etios used in one of the crimes.
The gang, called Golgota Boys, is led by Sakeus Amateta, 31, who is also known as ‘Kablue’. He has 14 police cases opened against him.
According to police records, Amateta has nine cases of robbery and one of armed robbery, one attempted murder, two cases of housebreaking and one of theft out of a motor vehicle. Amateta also has a case of theft and malicious damage to property. His cases date from 2009 to the present.
The City Police Chief Abraham Kanime said that for the past three weeks a spate of robberies and theft out of motor vehicles have taken place in Windhoek.
“We worked as hard as possible using our operational means to identify who these guys are. They are three groups and two work close to each other,” said Kanime, adding that most of the crimes committed involved Polos.
Kanime said the group targeted mainly the western part of Windhoek in suburbs like Rocky Crest, Hochland Park, Pioneers Park, Academia, Windhoek West, Windhoek North and Dorado Park.
Kanime issued a stern warning that the criminals’ days are numbered.
“These guys are dangerous; they are chance takers and some of them are involved in bank card snatching. The Toyota Etios is at large – we know where he (the criminal) is. He is still in Windhoek – the safer way is for him to hand himself over to the police,” said Kanime.
“What these criminals need to know is that we are there but sometimes invisible,” said Kanime.