OSHAKATI: The Namibian Police Force (NamPol) at Ondangwa in the Oshana Region on Wednesday last week arrested a young man for possessing dangerous weapons – a Yugoslavian-made rocket-propelled grenade (RPG)-75 rocket and an AK-MC machine gun.

Commander of NamPol in the region, Commissioner Ndahangwapo Kashihakumwa revealed this during a media conference at his head office at Oshakati here on Wednesday this week.

Kashihakumwa identified the suspect as Sheendelwako Popyeninge Ingashipola, aged between 20 and 30.

The police arrested Ingashipola while he was busy hiding the arms in Ondangwa, following a tip-off from members of the public.

Kashihakumwa described the two weapons as the ‘most sophisticated and dangerous’ war equipment, which are not allowed to be possessed by an individual.

Ingashipola made a brief first appearance in the magistrate’s court at Ondangwa on Monday, and his case has been postponed to 24 October this year for further police investigations.

“The court granted him bail of N.dollars 5 000,” Kashihakumwa explained, adding that the police were hard at work to establish how Ingashipola got hold of the two weapons of war.

In a separate incident, the police in the Oshana Region received three military machineguns from the family of an ex-combatant of the then People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) of Swapo, who failed to surrender the unlicensed arms to the authorities after the war for the country’s liberation ended.

Kashihakumwa said family members reported and surrendered the three arms to the police after the death of the yet to be identified ex-PLAN combatant.

“I want to issue a stern warning to members of the public that it is dangerous to possess a firearm without a license, and therefore, I am appealing to the public to expose any illegal possession of whatever unlicensed firearm in the community to the police or any other relevant authority,” Kashihakumwa stated.