Laptop computers taken from offices

THIEVES have broken into the offices of South Africa’s Competition Commission, making off with laptop computers, the watchdog said on Saturday. It is the latest in a series of highprofile burglaries targeting law enforcement bodies. “Two laptops were stolen on Tuesday from the division responsible for investigations into cartel conduct,” the head of communications, Sipho Ngwema, said in a statement. The break-in came a few weeks after thieves stole two laptops from the state prosecutors’ offices. The Competition Commission is responsible for investigating issues including cartel conduct and mergers and acquisitions, before bringing them to the Competition Tribunal for adjudication. The case has been transferred to South Africa’s elite Hawks police unit for further investigation, Ngwema said. In July, burglars stole hard drives and other computer equipment from the Hawks. In March, 15 computers containing information on South Africa’s judges and court officials were stolen from the offices of the Chief Justice.