Premises of the national crime intelligence unit were broken into last week by brazen thieves who made off with a safe and guns.<\/p>\n
According to police sources, an unknown number of thieves gained entry into the premises on Thursday evening last week.<\/p>\n
The thieves made off with a R5 rifle and five handguns as well as a safe, which is said to have contained important documents.<\/p>\n
Rumours flew on Monday as sources in the unit believed the burglary to be an inside job, however, this could not be proven.<\/p>\n
Police spokesperson Colonel Jay Niacker said at this stage all they can confirm is that a case of house breaking is being investigated by provincial detectives.<\/p>\n
Democratic Alliance shadow minister of police Dianne Kohler-Barnard was critical, saying that \u201cthis seems to be happening far too often\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said the crime intelligence unit is responsible for extremely sensitive information on high-end crimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could well be that those guns and contents of the safe could have been important evidence in a case against a syndicate. If so, that case will now fall apart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Kohler-Barnard urged that the \u00adIndependent Police Investigative \u00adDirectorate (IPID) should investigate the matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis speaks of an inside job so it must be investigated,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
IFP spokesperson on police Albert Mncwango could not be reached for comment.<\/p>\n
The burglary comes after a spate of burglaries at police stations in Pietermaritzburg.<\/p>\n
Most recently, in May, the Pietermaritzburg police station in Loop Street was struck twice by burglars.<\/p>\n
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