The discovery of missing German tourist Nick Frischke’s Visa credit card among stolen property, has seemingly gone unnoticed by police until today (23 February).
A photograph of a logbook, the authenticity of which has been confirmed by People’s Post, listing stolen property confiscated during a police raid was circulated among community WhatsApp groups earlier this morning.
Among the items listed is Frischke’s Visa credit card.
READ | Search of Hangberg trail in Hout Bay for missing German tourist comes up empty
The logbook has been linked to an arrest made in Hangberg on Tuesday 21 February.
According to a statement posted on the Hout Bay Policing Forum’s Facebook page, police officers held an operation on Tuesday following a house robbery that occurred earlier this month.
“The members followed up on information and searched a bungalow and found two suspects aged 22 and 23 inside a dwelling in Hangberg. The two suspects will be linked with other cases, including armed robbery, house robbery, possession of a stolen firearm, unlicensed ammunition and possession of drugs,” the statement read.
The statement said that the suspects were due to appear in Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 February.
However, People’s Post has learned that police may have had the credit card in their possession even earlier than the time of the arrest.
A community source, who wishes to remain anonymous, confirms that a copy of the logbook page was given out at Hout Bay Police Station on Monday 20 February.
Another community source, who also asked for their identity to be protected, stated that they had it on good authority that the stolen goods listed in the logbook had been recovered during a police raid on Thursday 16 February.
ALSO READ | Family ‘living a nightmare’ as police search Hout Bay for German tourist still missing after a week
When People’s Post called Lt Col Jerome Syster, Station Commander, Hout Bay Police, at 10:30 this morning, Syster, as part of a search party, was combing the area in and around Seal Island.
Heavily occupied by the search, Syster promised to contact People’s Post with an update later.
He did say that on Friday 17 February, Hout Bay Police Station had not known that Frischke was missing.
“The person was not reported as missing at our police station. He was reported as missing at Pinelands Police Station,” said Syster.
On Saturday 18 February, police issued a statement, asking for the public’s help in tracing Frischke. The 22-year-old arrived in South Africa on Monday 6 February.
According to police reports, he left his accommodation in Pinelands on Tuesday 14 February “and never returned”.
On Tuesday 21 February, information was shared by NSRI Hout Bay, saying that it was suspected that Frischke had gone missing on the Hangberg trail between Hout Bay and Sandy Bay.
A thorough search of the area by the NSRI, a Western Cape Government Health EMS rescue squad drone team, an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) rescue squad trail search and rescue team, a Police K9 search and rescue team, WSAR (Wilderness Search and Rescue) members and WSAR K9 search and rescue, however, came up empty.
Yesterday, Colonel Andrè Traut, Provincial Commander, Media Communication, Western Cape, told People’s Post that the disappearance of Frischke was still under investigation.
“He remains to be found. Part of this investigation is a full-scale search by the police and other role players where all avenues are pursued in a bid to find the missing person,” said Traut.
The search continues.
