NATIONAL NEWS - Police confirmed that the Interpol offices in Pretoria were broken into and laptops and other electronic items were stolen.

"We have registered a case of robbery. Several items were taken, including laptops, cameras, and tablets," police spokesman Lt-Gen Solomon Makgale said on Wednesday.

"Some items belong to the state and some were privately owned by people who work in the office."

Police became aware of the incident on Sunday and did not say if anybody else was in the building at the time, or if there were injuries.

According to the Sowetan newspaper, the laptops contained information about Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir's case, secret witness lists, and information linked to investigations into international crime syndicates.

Investigators had apparently indicated that one of the stolen laptops belonged to an officer involved in George Louca's extradition to South Africa from Cyprus.

Makgale said the Sowetan's allegations were "pure speculation".

"That's what they say. That is pure speculation," he said.

"We are busy with an investigation to establish a number of things. We would like to establish what was contained in the items taken."

The newspaper reported that the theft took place on Saturday but that burglars returned the following day using access cards and key codes to gain entry into the office.

Makgale could not tell Sapa if access cards and key codes had been used, or if the building was monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

"We still need to investigate how this could have happened," he said.

No arrests had yet been made.

Krejcir and five others are on trial facing charges of kidnapping, attempted murder, and dealing in drugs.

Louca, a Cypriot national, is accused of killing Teazers strip club boss Lolly Jackson.

Source : Sapa