WALVIS BAY – Police at Walvis Bay and Windhoek arrested a third suspect in connection with the disappearance of thousands of dollars in cash and cheques that vanished under the guard of two security personnel of Namibian Protection Services (NPS) last Thursday in Walvis Bay.
The two guards were arrested the same day while a third suspect was arrested in Windhoek on Friday. The three are expected to appear in court today.
However, the Namibian Police crime coordinator for the Erongo Region, Deputy Commissioner Ottilie Kashupuulwa said two suspects are still at large but police are following up all leads to bring the culprits to book.
“The suspects got away with N$333 869 in cash and cheques worth N$56 285,” said Kashupuulwa.
The two security guards had collected safety deposit boxes containing money and cheques from Erongo Re and Metro wholesaler last week Thursday.
The guards were tasked to transfer the money to different banks, but instead diverted from their normal route and drove to the exclusive Meersig suburb, where they handed the loot to their accomplices and abandoned the security vehicle.
Kashupulwa told New Era that the guards collected N$144 388 in cash and cheques of N$44 692 from Erongo Red. They also collected N$188 581 in cash and N$11 593 worth of cheques from Metro.
“They then handed the cash to three men who were waiting for them with the getaway car and drove off, abandoning the NPS vehicle they used to collect the money,” she explained.
The security vehicle was later found in the lagoon area behind a church with some of the safety boxes and cheques scattered on the ground.
However, the guards were arrested before they could again meet up with their accomplices to flee with the money.
This was the second time in the space of four months that money in transfer by NPS guards was stolen. In December last year the Walvis Bay police foiled a similar incident when a security guard of the company stole N$4.3 million in cash and cheques.
However, crack detective work by the police led to the arrest of NPS security guard Mutatubi Sylvester Kopani and his accomplice a Malawian witchdoctor. Their case is still ongoing.
By Eveline de Klerk