Erongo gang bust

Police officers made four arrests and recovered stolen goods to the value of N$35 063 with stolen goods to the value of N$ 58 713 still missing in Karibib, Commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa told the media on Friday. Items recovered include three television sets, bedding, cooking utensils, clothing, two compactor machines and computers. Other recovered items had already been claimed by their owners. Officers acted on a tip-off and discovered some of the stolen goods in a shack in Barbara Kahatjipara Street in Blikkiesdorp, Usab location on December 31. Stanley Urikhob (28), Ekandjo Shimbo (27), Edison Seibeb (27) and Lucas Matheus (23) were taken into custody in connection with a spate of five burglaries, which took place in Karibib and Blikkiesdorp December 11 to 13, again on the 17th, the 27th, on December 30 and 31 and January 4, 2016. The accused appeared in the Karibib Magistrates Court on charges of housebreaking with intent to steal, and theft. All were denied bail. Their cases were postponed to February 22, 25 and 29 respectively. Officers also discovered a dagga plantation at farm Okatjimukuiyu in the Karibib district on January 4. Abraham Razeem (24), a Namibian citizen, was charged with possessing and dealing in dagga, an illegal substance. The plants have not yet been weighed and the value is undetermined. Karibib Station Commander, Inspector Jossefina Ndjao, indicated that domestic violence and assaults are the most common cases reported by residents. She also said that stock theft cases declined but illegal hunting had increased. According Commissioner Kashuupulwa, the Erongo Region experienced a relatively quiet festive season compared to previous years and crimes decreased significantly. “The public behaved and cooperated. We also recorded a number of successes in other towns. Commissioner Andreas Nelumbu will provide a complete overview at a later stage. Statistics indicate that over the past three years from April 1, 2012 to March 30, 2015 overall crime dropped with 9.3% in the Erongo Region. We recorded 5 818 cases from April 1, 2014 to March 30, 2015. The number of cases recorded however increased in Karibib (249), Mondesa (831), Narraville (184), Walvis Bay (24), Tutaleni (378), Omatjete (81), Okombahe (87), Tubusis (38) and Otjimbingwe (128).” OTIS FINCK