Two people have died in an armed heist in which robbers stole diamonds from Namdia Desert Diamonds, a sales and marketing company the Namibian government owns.
Intruders broke into the Namdia premises in the early evening hours Saturday, shooting and killing the company’s senior protection officer, Francis “Gosh” Eiseb, who tried to defend the site and fend off the robbers, Namdia said Sunday.
The suspects fled with an “unspecified amount of Namdia’s diamonds,” the value of which “is still to be ascertained,” explained the company, which has an agreement to purchase 15% of production from Namdeb, the joint venture between De Beers and the Namibian government.
Of the four suspects involved in the robbery, one is in police custody, while another died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound during the incident, Namdia said. The other two are on the run.
The company is encouraging anyone with information that could assist in the capture of the two fugitive suspects to contact the Namibian police.
“Namdia remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding its staff and operation,” the company said. “We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure that this unfortunate incident receives all the necessary resources required to resolve the case.”
A joint media conference between Namdia and the Namibia police to discuss the case will be announced imminently, the diamond sales and marketing agency added.
Image: Rough diamonds. (Namdia)