Armed robbery at desert lodge

THE Le Mirage Desert Lodge and Spa near Sossusvlei was robbed by four gunmen during the early hours of yesterday morning, with the suspects making off with N$70 000 from the lodge safe.

By yesterday afternoon, one of the suspects had been arrested. The lodge is the property of the Leading Lodges of Africa group. Group spokesperson Leez Hovelmann stated yesterday that one of the suspects held the sole
security officer guarding the premises at gunpoint, while his associates executed the robbery. ‘The security guard was escorted by one of the men outside where he was held at gunpoint, while the rest of the well-equipped men proceeded to break in,’ Hovelmann said. ‘The men seemed to be well informed and gave the impression that they knew exactly how to get to the safe,’ she said. The guard managed to get a detailed description of the assailants, but not of the getaway vehicle. The four suspects were described as ‘distinctly of coloured origin’, with two of them said to have been wearing white shirts and another wearing a red shirt. The entire robbery apparently took 20 minutes to execute. No one was injured during the ordeal. Police were called to the scene immediately, and managed to arrest one of the suspects. ‘Our concern is twofold, and we urge the surrounding lodges and guest farms to be on the lookout for these men. We believe this group might target other lodges in the area,’ said Leading Lodges of Africa CEO Werner Beddies. The company is offering a reward of N$5 000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the robbers.