South African police have this month made various undisclosed arrests in the Northern Cape in diamond cases believed to be linked to the 18 January Namib Desert Diamond (Namdia) heist in Windhoek.
Two people died during the heist, and about 47 481.10 carats of diamonds worth approximately N$259 million remain in the wind.
The undisclosed number of suspects are expected to make a court appearance tomorrow, according to South African authorities.
The Issue understands that authorities in South Africa believe that the diamonds originate from Namibia.
One of those arrested was a Port Nolloth man, for being in possession of 1 000 carats of diamonds.
The Issue has established that Port Nolloth resident Nico van der Westhuizen is the man in question. This is after South African Police’s Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigation (DPCI), well-known as the Hawks, raided a Port Nolloth house, where 1 000 carats of diamonds were recovered. The diamonds are worth approximately N$5.4 million.
Authorities allegedly believe the house belongs to Nico van der Westhuizen.
A South African National Prosecution Authority spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokatsoane, could only confirm that Van der Westhuizen has been arrested and will appear in court tomorrow.
“Please note that the matter has been remanded to 29 September for the joiner of other accused in this matter,” he said on Friday.
Senokatsoane could not provide more details around the case. He also refused to confirm whether the gems are linked to Namibia, the number of suspects involved or the circumstances surrounding their arrests.
“Unfortunately, that information forms part of the State’s case and cannot be divulged as this might compromise the position of the prosecution evidence against the accused,” he said in his WhatsApp response.
During August, The Issue reported that authorities started looking at Port Nolloth in South Africa, with investigations concluding that the gems stolen from Namdia could have landed in the hands of a diamond smuggling syndicate operating from the sleepy Northern Cape town known for prolific illicit diamond smuggling and trading.
This came after the 5 May arrest of Bino Jaco Cloete, George Jones Cloete and his wife Charmaine Shireen Cloete at Keetmanshoop. The three are relatives of Namdia employee and protection officer Charles Rhoman, who has not yet been arrested nor charged with anything in connection to the heist.
The Port Nolloth link came about after authorities uncovered that a nightclub belonging to Port Nolloth-based convicted diamond dealer and his brother bought livestock worth N$117 500 for Rhoman and his relatives.
The same account also made a N$530 000 cross-border payment on 10 February. This particular payment was for the purchase of a Ford Ranger bakkie for George Cloete’s wife, Charmaine.
The South African bank account where the money originated from, law enforcement sources said, belongs to Black White Club in Port Nolloth. The club, according to law enforcement sources, belongs to convicted diamond dealer Nico Viljoen and his brother Carlos Caldeira Viljoen.
Authorities suspect the Cloetes to have played a part in the 18 January heist. The Issue also previously reported that on 28 January Bino and George Cloete visited Port Nolloth for about eight hours, and upon their return, their financial fortunes also changed drastically.
Police now believe that their newfound riches are as a result of the 18 January heist.
Other suspects in the Namdia heist case, linked to Porth Nolloth, are the trio of cousins Emmanuel Ipinge, Andreas Akwaake and Samuel Shipanga. Ipinge and Akwaake were arrested on 28 March while travelling back from a trip to Port Nolloth. Police started monitoring after a tip that the two were seen at a hotel known for illicit diamond dealing in the South African town.
Upon their arrest the two were found with N$725 000 in cash.
Police investigations later found that the two were related to Samuel Shipanga, who was the G4S security guard stationed near Namdia at the time of the 18 January heist. Shipanga was one of the first responders to the scene, and authorities believe he stole diamonds at the scene.
He allegedly then resigned from his job a week later. It was established by law enforcement that he gave the diamonds to Ipinge to sell. Ipinge then gave him N$40 000 as a down payment of sorts. But Ipinge and Akwaake were arrested shortly thereafter. They are believed to have sold some of the diamonds on their trip to Port Nolloth.
It is not clear how or whether Nico van der Westhuizen and the other suspects appearing in court tomorrow are linked to any of the Namibian suspects.
