Last week, thieves broke into the Nossob Primary School and stole the entire N$11 614 in school fees paid by pupils this year.

They used a master key to unlock the school's safe - exactly the same method used to steal N$10 000 from the Witvlei Village Council in mid-December.

"It is very difficult to link the two incidents at this stage, but the fact that they were carried out in the same matter leaves that possibility [of a syndicate] which we can't rule out," the Police spokesperson for the Omaheke Region, Sergeant Michael Matengu, told The Namibian.

No one has been arrested for either crime, and according to Matengu, a massive Police investigation is underway to apprehend the culprits and recover the money.

The Police officer dismissed suggestions by some of the village's residents that the thefts could be an "inside job" by the employees of the two institutions.

The break-in at the school took place on January 18, and the burglary at the village council happened on the night of December 17.

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