‘Day-light’ thieves emerge

THIEVES in Ndola have devised a new system of stealing from households in Mitengo during the day by impersonating police officers. An alert has since been raised in Mitengo among residents, who have suffered housebreakins and thefts at an increasing rate since last year. According to information gathered by the Daily Nation, thieves were going to people’s homes pretending to be police officers as well as workers from the water utility company in the area. More than 12 houses had been broken into while water pumps and other valuables had been stolen in a similar manner and resident suspected that it was the same group terrorising innocent people On Tuesday, two men entered a premises in Mitengo during the day, pretending to be police officers on patrol and asked the children on the whereabouts of their parents. Many families have complained of seeing strangers, moving about suspiciously and suspect that it was a mission to spy on them during the day before they could strike in the night. One resident, who declined to be named, said thieves had been striking during the day if they notice that owners of the house were not around. Chifubu Member of Parliament, Frank Ng’ambi, said he was aware about the rising theft cases in Mitengo and that a police post project would commence. But another family in Mitengo told the Daily Nation that another group of men entered the yard, telling the children that they were police officers and that they had received complaints from the neighbours that they were making too much noise. But when the men sensed that the children were becoming suspicious, they left quickly down the road and joined other stretches so that they could not be seen. The family went to inquire about the issue at Chifubu police station on the same day, but officers denied conducting such activities or patrols during the day. When contacted over the matter, Copperbelt Commissioner of Police Charity Katanga said she had not received any such report at the moment.