Tourists robbed at gunpoint at Swakopmund

Two Korean tourists were robbed at gunpoint at the Strand Hotel parking area at Swakopmund on Thursday morning.

According to the Erongo police, four male suspects allegedly approached the tourists while they were at the hotel and threatened them with a firearm.

The suspects took several personal items before fleeing the scene in a dark silver Nissan Note.

Erongo police chief inspector Hilma Shomongula says the victims screamed for help as the suspects drove off.

“In the vicinity there was a member of the neighbourhood watch, who heard when the complainants were screaming for help while they were running after the silver Nissan Note,” she says.

Shomongula adds that emergency services responded quickly and located the suspects’ vehicle.

During the chase, the car was blocked by an emergency vehicle at Mandume Ndemufayo Street. The driver allegedly crashed into the emergency vehicle, abandoned the car and fled on foot.

Items taken during the robbery included four passports, backpacks with clothes, toiletries, binoculars, credit cards, a Samsung Galaxy cellphone, a power bank and US$1 700 in cash, everything valued at about N$143 000.

The police managed to recover several items, including the passports, backpacks, credit cards, binoculars and US$1 300 in cash.

Shomongula says the recovered items are valued at about N$128 000.

The complainants are a Korean man (60) and a Korean woman (61).

“One Namibian male suspect (25) has been arrested in connection with the robbery,” Shomongula says.

She adds that the suspect is expected to appear in the Swakopmund Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 26 January.

Three other suspects are still at large.

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