Police crack stock theft syndicate

POLICE at Khorixas say they are confident that the ringleader of a suspected stock theft syndicate is among nine men being held for the alleged theft of more than 7 000 goats, cattle and sheep from farms in the area.

Cleophas Tjiunduwa (36) is alleged to be a central figure in the recent series of livestock thefts in the Khorixas district. His capture, Police say, should enable them to crack the syndicate and make more arrests.In an interview with The Namibian this week, Khorixas Police station commander Inspector Robert Sanjahi said that Tjiunduwa was being held on charges of stock theft, bribery and attempting to defeat the course of justice.Relating how Police apprehended him, Sanjahi said that they grew suspicious when a complainant suddenly last week decided to withdraw a stock theft charge he had laid.The complainant had apparently lost 14 head of cattle of which the Police recovered seven at the farm Middelplaas.Two men were arrested in connection with the theft, but Sinjahi says the complainant suddenly asked the Police to stop their investigation and scrap the case from their records.”We discovered that he was promised compensation of 60 goats and 12 cattle by the family of one of the suspects, and that he had already received 10 goats and six cattle,” Sinjahi said.Why the suspect would sacrifice 12 head of cattle and 60 goats, especially when the complainant was only missing seven, raised questions, Sinjahi said.Also, thanks to a tip-off from a source in the community, Police raided another farm in the area last weekend, where they found more than 400 goats in a kraal.The owner of the farm was unable to say how they got there.Tjiunduwa’s name came up and it was discovered that he was in fact a family member of this farm owner.Tjiunduwa was eventually brought in for questioning, and later arrested after more animals were discovered on his farm, and he could not allegedly give a satisfactory answer as to how they got there.He joined Bbeto Tjuinduwa (36), Mathew Tjiunduwa (25), Nico Kahuku (31), Elias Munenuela (47), Kahupilo Kavi (53), Leonard Wararavi (29), Moses Kawoko (28) and Rujindo Clahimua (68) as an accused in the series of stock thefts.The station commander said that between 4 000 and 5 000 of the animals have so far been identified by their owners, out of a total of more than 7 000 discovered at the three farms Middelplaas, Oshakati and !Gobshoekie.Police officers are guarding the animals at the various kraals, Sinjahi said, an arrangement which he said was straining Police resources in the district.A date will be announced when the community can collect their stolen livestock, and all animals not identified by then will be deemed State property.On Wednesday, Petrus Ukongo – the leader of Ditsa-I-Mu (DIM), a community organisation set up to help fight stock theft – said that the identification of animals was being hampered by the fact that identification marks on the animals’ ears had been tampered with by cutting off their ears and other means.He assured the Police that his organisation was not trying to interfere with their investigations, as Sinjahi has been charging.Ukongo said DIM had always had a good working relationship with the Police, and were happy to continue like that.His capture, Police say, should enable them to crack the syndicate and make more arrests.In an interview with The Namibian this week, Khorixas Police station commander Inspector Robert Sanjahi said that Tjiunduwa was being held on charges of stock theft, bribery and attempting to defeat the course of justice.Relating how Police apprehended him, Sanjahi said that they grew suspicious when a complainant suddenly last week decided to withdraw a stock theft charge he had laid.The complainant had apparently lost 14 head of cattle of which the Police recovered seven at the farm Middelplaas.Two men were arrested in connection with the theft, but Sinjahi says the complainant suddenly asked the Police to stop their investigation and scrap the case from their records. “We discovered that he was promised compensation of 60 goats and 12 cattle by the family of one of the suspects, and that he had already received 10 goats and six cattle,” Sinjahi said.Why the suspect would sacrifice 12 head of cattle and 60 goats, especially when the complainant was only missing seven, raised questions, Sinjahi said.Also, thanks to a tip-off from a source in the community, Police raided another farm in the area last weekend, where they found more than 400 goats in a kraal.The owner of the farm was unable to say how they got there.Tjiunduwa’s name came up and it was discovered that he was in fact a family member of this farm owner.Tjiunduwa was eventually brought in for questioning, and later arrested after more animals were discovered on his farm, and he could not allegedly give a satisfactory answer as to how they got there.He joined Bbeto Tjuinduwa (36), Mathew Tjiunduwa (25), Nico Kahuku (31), Elias Munenuela (47), Kahupilo Kavi (53), Leonard Wararavi (29), Moses Kawoko (28) and Rujindo Clahimua (68) as an accused in the series of stock thefts.The station commander said that between 4 000 and 5 000 of the animals have so far been identified by their owners, out of a total of more than 7 000 discovered at the three farms Middelplaas, Oshakati and !Gobshoekie.Police officers are guarding the animals at the various kraals, Sinjahi said, an arrangement which he said was straining Police resources in the district.A date will be announced when the community can collect their stolen livestock, and all animals not identified by then will be deemed State property.On Wednesday, Petrus Ukongo – the leader of Ditsa-I-Mu (DIM), a community organisation set up to help fight stock theft – said that the identification of animals was being hampered by the fact that identification marks on the animals’ ears had been tampered with by cutting off their ears and other means.He assured the Police that his organisation was not trying to interfere with their investigations, as Sinjahi has been charging.Ukongo said DIM had always had a good working relationship with the Police, and were happy to continue like that.