Theft Cases in Tanzania are taking a new turn. This time the victim is ‘God,’ or at least, robbers are invading the devine’s houses.
A new wave of crime is hitting the country, where unknown people are going round, breaking into churches, mostly during the night, stealing therein music instruments, audio and PA systems and other sound and vision equipment.
Reports reaching the Tanzania Times, reveal that, the racketeers are also well equipped, usually with vehicles to ferry the looted gear from houses of worship to potential buyers. The new crime seems to promise Mega Millions to the rogues. Or, is it?
Sometimes the robbers even get to bribe their way into empty pulpits through security personnel who eventually also melt into thin air after the crime is accomplished.
A source prefering anonymity
These rackets are said to be notorious in the Northern Precincts of Arusha and Kilimanjaro, also coming up in Dar-es-salaam city, while some cases are also being reported in Mbeya, down South.
Latest events occured at Uduru and Hosiana parishes of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hai District of Kilimanjaro Region, where microphones, keyboards, audio mixers and other gear were stolen from the worship houses by unkown culprits.
Church Pastor, Nixon Kowiro who ministers in the locality, reported the matter to the Police. But the cleric and fellow priests in Hai, also took time to announce that people should report any person or people seen selling audio equipment anywehere in Tanzania as most of them could be stolen from pulpits.
While music instruments and audio equipment can be found in a number of retail outlets, thieves prefer those used in churches, beleiving they are of higher quality on that many of the gears get donated to the ‘Brethren,’ by their fellow believers, or affiliated churches abroad.
The Devil in the Details
Plus, it is usually also an inside job, when new equipment arrive, some church members who collude with criminals, leak the information out.
Loudspeakers, Synthesizers, Drum machines, guitars and portable recorders are all the rave in the country today, selling like hot cakes in black markets.
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