Back in January, several armed robbers ran away with a huge amount of diamonds from Namib Desert Diamonds (Namdia) worth about $17 million (NAD 315 million). The good news is that the diamond company has managed to return approximately $2 million (almost NAD 41 million) worth of them.
The police investigation continues, so Namibia’s state-owned diamond company hopes to get more of the stolen gems back. In early March, two of the four suspects were caught and are supposed to go to court in May.
This case once again revealed the necessity of addressing the challenges the industry faces in terms of protecting its people and precious stones. After the robbery happened, Namdia paid great attention to improving its security system and strategy. Namdia has also repaired some of the damage caused by the robbery, so employees returned to the office last week after working remotely since the incident.
At the same time, the company has brought in a security consultant to analyze the work of the department and suggest possible ways to improve operations. Unfortunately, the former security chief lost his life while trying to prevent the robbery.
One security officer has been arrested, as it was proven that he was involved in the heist. That is why introducing better security measures at all levels is a top priority for the company. To make sure the investigation is unbiased and fair, Namdia has put some of its top managers, including the security manager, on temporary leave. However, the company doesn’t believe any other employees had anything to do with the crime.
