Laptop thieves on the prowl
Laptop thieves on the prowl

Laptop thieves on the prowl

Cindy Van Wyk
Erwin Leuschner

SWAKOPMUND



The Erongo police have called on the public, especially shop owners, to be on their guard against a new laptop theft syndicate.

Several cases of this nature have been reported recently in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay.

The gang's modus operandi is that three or four men enter a store, all wearing face masks, as required.

“They pretend to ask for a quote,” Inspector Ileni Shapumba of the Erongo police said. “Once the owner or manager gets up or turns away, they grab the laptop and other valuables and flee on foot,” he said.



Impossible to identify

In other cases, one man distracts the business owner while the other thieves steal laptops.

“It is almost impossible to identify the perpetrators because of the face masks they are wearing,” Shapumba said.

Business owners are urged not to leave valuables lying on tables and to always be vigilant.

“We have seen a significant increase in post-lockdown crimes, particularly cases of theft,” Shapumba added.

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Namibian Sun 2024-05-02

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