Otjinene robbery suspects caught after wild chase

THE Police in the Otjiwarongo area worked around the clock on Wednesday to arrest five armed robbers who were fleeing from Otjinene in the Omaheke Region.

The hunt for four men and one woman started before dawn on Wednesday morning, when Police at Otjinene were informed of an armed robbery at a shebeen. The Police were informed that a vehicle carrying stolen goods worth more than N$40 000, and five people, was heading to the Waterberg area near Otjiwarongo. They immediately alerted the Otjozondjupa Police to be on the lookout for the fleeing suspects on the gravel road leading to the small town of Okakarara.The woman who had called the Police said two men had entered the Kambishi shebeen at around 04h00 and held the owner at gunpoint while they tied her up with the cord of a cellphone charger. The men stole a music system, a laptop computer, a cellphone, cigarettes and N$25 000 in cash. Deputy Commissioner Moses Khairabeb, the crime coordinator for the Otjozondjupa Region, yesterday said that the Otjiwarongo Police immediately headed to Okakarara where they put up a roadblock. At about 07h00, the Police spotted the vehicle with the two alleged armed robbers and three accomplices. A car chase began on the gravel road. Soon the suspects stopped their car and fled into the veld on foot, Khairabeb said. Several Police officers were deployed to hunt the suspects in the veld while Khairabeb’s team contacted headquarters for air assistance.The first suspect, a woman who is linked to several livestock theft cases, Barbara Kaovere (31) was arrested at about 12h00 after she was spotted from the Police helicopter. Khairabeb said a little detective work and help from the public closed the noose around the rest of the suspects later that day. A tip-off led the Police to patrol the streets of Otjiwarongo, where they spotted one suspect in a taxi at a service station at around 18h00. He was immediately arrested, along with the taxi driver and another passenger, who allegedly drove from Windhoek to help the suspects escape from the region.Police then laid a trap by luring the rest of the suspects with the cellphone of the last suspect they had arrested. At 21h00 Police arrested the last three suspects linked to the armed robbery. Motota Israel (25), Josef Hamukuyu (26), Erastus Nangolo (27), Joseph Katunohange (31) and Kaovere will be held in Police custody at Otjiwarongo for the time being. In total, nine arrests were made by 10h00 last night, Khairabeb said. Police were able to retrieve N$37 000 worth of goods including N$18 000 cash, the laptop, cellphone, music system and cigarettes. The rest of the stolen cash is still unaccounted for. Khairabeb said the case was handed back to the Otjinene Police yesterday. He added that tests will be done to confirm suspicions that the firearm used during the armed robbery might be linked to another robbery case.