Windhoek
Four people, including two City Police officers, a tour guide and an alleged diamond dealer were arrested in connection with the theft of £15 000 (N$300 000) from British tourists.
The theft occurred last week in Laurent Kabila Street in Suiderhof at around 12h00 when the police officers, dressed in their uniforms, allegedly mounted an unauthorised roadblock in the area.
They searched a vehicle whose occupants included the tourists from England and a tour guide who was their driver. The cops were driving in a fully marked City Police vehicle, according to information obtained by New Era.
The Namibian Police spokesperson Inspector Slogan Mathews explained that the tourists and the tour guide found the roadblock on their way back from visiting an alleged diamond dealer from whom they were supposed to buy the precious stones.
But they decided not to buy the stones as they appeared to be fake, police say.
“The City Police officers stopped their vehicle and they were all searched and money was taken from them. The police officers requested the tourists to follow them to the police station but they (police officers) drove fast and the tourists lost sight of the car,” Mathews said.
Mathews said that the City Police officers took £15 000 from the tourists’ car.
The tour guide and the diamond dealer were arrested on Wednesday last week while the City Police officers were nabbed on Thursday.
The City Police officers appeared in court yesterday, but their names could not be established at the time of going to print last night.
So far the Namibian Police only recovered a combined $105 000 from one City Police officer and the diamond seller. N$38 000 was found in possession of the diamond seller.
The tourists reported the theft to the Namibian Police and provided the registration number of the getaway City Police car.
“The investigation started on December 2 and we managed to arrest the tour guide and a diamond seller on Wednesday. On Thursday we managed to arrest the two City Police officers. One is a constable while the other is a sergeant who are both aged 35 years,” said Mathews.
Mathews said that it seems the robbery was coordinated between the four men and that they acted with a common purpose.
He also revealed that there was communication between the tour guide and tourists before they came to the country.
City Police spokesperson Cillie Auala, who confirmed the arrest of her colleagues, described the allegations as serious and hinted that entered Khan’s shop at 08h30 the two officers face suspension.
“We don’t support any form of corruption and if you suspect anything fishy or illegitimate, report to our office,” she advised.