/ 15 January 2002

DUSI-PADDLER ROBBERS NABBED

SECURITY officials of the Dusi canoe marathon have arrested three men who were allegedly involved in a number of hold-ups at Ibis Point in the Myini area on the Dusi route. The area is just above Marianney-Foley which paddlers go through on the second day of the Dusi. ”We have arrested two of the three suspects that have been positively identified as being involved in the last incident on Friday when a seconder, Duncan Blair, was held up at gunpoint,” said Derek Howe, operations co-ordinator of the event. The two men had a wallet and a mobile phone that belonged to the seconder in their possession. ”We have positively connected these men to at least four other cases in the area. At the time of the arrest one of the suspects had a 9mm pistol in his possession, which one of the victims of Fridays’ hold up has identified as the one used against him. ”Our security team laid a trap in the area where these armed robbers were operating. We had with us one of the victims of Fridays’ hold up who has positively identified the men as well as the possessions that had been taken from him. Race organisers are confident that the arrests, and an increased security presence, will mean an end to the security problems that have been experienced over the last few weeks. – Sapa