Africa-Press – Namibia. POLICE inspector Kamina Alfonso (40) from the police firearms unit at Rundu and a civilian Johanna Abiatar (38) have been arrested for allegedly smuggling arms from Namibia to Angola.
Police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi confirmed the arrests, saying Alfonso and Abiatar were taken into custody on 19 May and 24 May in Kavango East and at Oshikango, respectively.
Shikwambi said the two had already made their initial court appearance during which they were both remanded in custody, and their case postponed to Friday to enable them to make a formal bail application.
The are being charged with contravening the Arms and Ammunition Act.
A senior officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Alfonso is suspected of having issued a firearm export permit to a person who had an expired licence. The person was reportedly travelling to Angola.
The firearms were allegedly bought in Windhoek and the permit was issued at Rundu in February this year and the person travelled through the Oshikango border post.
Alfonso allegedly signed the permit, which should have been signed by the Kavango East regional commander, commissioner Johanna Ngodo.
In April, police inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga and the head of the Angolan police, commissioner general Arnaldo Carlos, launched a joint investigation into the smuggling of weapons to Angola at a ceremony at Oshakati.
At the signing event, Carlos said the Angolan police were investigating some top brass in their country for allegedly smuggling firearms from Namibia.
He also said four people, including a Namibian, had been arrested and detained, but the Namibian was later released on bail.
Ndeitunga disclosed that 13 firearms and 450 rounds of ammunition were smuggled into Angola since 2017 with the suspects using forged police documents to buy the weapons.
Last month, Namibia’s home affairs minister, Albert Kawana, said weapons exclusively meant for use by the police, army and intelligence officers had been smuggled into Angola.
Kawana said the Angolan and Namibian governments feared that the weapons may be used against the Angolan government during the Angolan elections in August this year.
Alfonso is the sixth police officer to be arrested in connection with the alleged smuggling of weapons.
This year, five police officers were arrested for allegedly stealing 178 weapons said to be worth N$2,5 million including bombs, AK-47 rifles, grenades and rockets in Windhoek. They appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura where their case was postponed.
The five police officers are Loini Shoondi (56), Kavari Mutuari (34), Fredericks Jacobus, Petrus Vilonel (60), and Laban Hoveka Uaundjua (57).
Police sources and court documents obtained by The Namibian reveal that some of the weapons were sold and may be in the hands of criminals.
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