WALVIS BAY – A 53-year-old Dutch national, who was murdered in front of his rented Swakopmund home on Monday, was not only known in the drug trafficking network but had a criminal history in the Netherlands, where he was also convicted of murder in 2001.

This is according to news reports from his native country, indicating Roland Masoljin has been linked to the disappearance of at least two people, of which one is an alleged large ecstasy baron from Nederweert in the Netherlands. 

Shortly after that, in 2013, Masoljin allegedly went into hiding. It is not yet known when exactly Masoljin arrived in Namibia.  Sources close to the investigation revealed that he did not own anything in Namibia due to his expired visa and rather registered everything he owned under his partner’s name. 

This includes the Ford Ranger Raptor he was driving minutes before his murder on Monday. 

The source also reveals that Masoljin, at some stage, had also been under the police radar for his alleged dealings, where a trap was supposed to be set for him months before his death. 

“We believe that he might be linked to a wider drug trafficking network, and that he might have overstepped his turf. Swakopmund has been infested with cocaine dealers. We, in the past, had arrested several foreigners, including refugees in Swakopmund for drug dealings,” the source said. 

Meanwhile, Inspector Ileni Shapumba yesterday told the media that the cocaine found in Masoljin’s car weighed 510 grams and has a street value of N$306 000.  

Shapumba also confirmed the vehicle he was driving before his death was registered in the girlfriend’s name as well as a firearm license that was also collected on Monday. 

At least 120 boxes containing 9mm live rounds were found in the couple’s home; however, no firearm was found. 

“We are still investigating the matter, and we cannot reveal much of the progress details at this stage,” Shapumba said yesterday. 

He, however, expressed his concern over the circulation of a surveillance video in which a person is seen running in the same street as the shooting incident. 

The police are yet to arrest a suspect or suspects in the matter. 

“It was observed that a video in respect of this case has circulated on social media yesterday. While this might yield positive results for those who circulated it, publicising evidence during the infant stage of investigation has and will always pose a serious derail of investigation from our side. We, thus, again appeal, as always been the case, that journalists please verify with us the risk of sharing investigation materials before deciding to do so,” Shapumba said.

Masoljin died shortly after he allegedly called his girlfriend, who was at home, to open the small gate of their home. 

According to the police, the girlfriend, who was still inside, heard a strange sound from outside. 

About 10 to 15 minutes later, an unknown man alerted her about a dead person lying in a pool of blood outside the house. 

He was first shot in his pelvis.  The second bullet, according to the police, struck him on the left lower part of the eye and exited through the backside of his head.

- edeklerk@nepc.com.na