Authorities in the Zambezi Region are cautioning residents to refrain from harbouring individuals involved in criminal activities that hinder service delivery.

This follows the discovery of items including copper wires, taps, valves, sewer motors, generators, and electrical and copper cables at a scrap yard at the Old Musika location in Katima Mulilo.

According to the police, the items are similar to those reported stolen from the Katima Mulilo town council properties, Enkehaus Private Hospital, NORED, and Telecom Namibia facilities, including the local state house.

Katima Mulilo Chief Executive Officer, Rafael Liswaniso, says the scrapyard area, which belongs to a private developer, is still home to about 26 households that are yet to be relocated.

"They are the ones who are allowing them to rent, and they are making business out of these illegal immigrants, and the illegal immigrants are doing these illegal activities. We even found our motors, the sewer motors that were stolen, in this place, so we have been alerted, and what we have done is that we are going to close the area, we are confiscating everything that is here, and the council is going to pronounce themselves to find out how we can move these people expediently."

The Katima Mulilo Police Station Commander, Chief Inspector Charles Mayumbelo, says suspects connected to the items fled the scene before the police reached the area.

Mayumbelo appealed to residents to report the whereabouts of the suspects.

"Whether he has an import and export permit, whether he's allowed to conduct operations here without a visa, I don't know, so we have to take it up with NAMRA, the immigration as well since they ran away and are believed to be from Zambia."

Residents providing scrap metal to exporters were also warned against engaging in the theft of private and government properties.