This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:
Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife crime is one of the pressing environmental issues of our time.
Wildlife crime investigations are generally covert operations requiring utmost confidentiality to succeed. Investigations and prosecutions in complex cases may take months or even years to complete. For this reason, the information that can be released to the public without compromising cases is often limited. Nonetheless, the Namibian government strives to share as much information as possible with the public.
The Namibian media has welcomed this approach and regularly publishes statistics and feature articles on wildlife crime. These are entered into the database at regular intervals, creating a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia.
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After a four-month operation, the owner of a traditional medicine store in Cape Town has been arrested after police confiscated various illegal fauna and flora. The store owner is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court soon. The Western Cape police spokesperson, Captain Frederick van Wyk said in order to address the illegal and ongoing stripping of bark from protected tree species in Table Mountain National Park, Environmental Crime Investigation (ECI) Cape Town identified a shop in Cape Town which purchased bark and other items from illegal suppliers for muti…
Cape Town - A 34-year-old man, who escaped from the Makhanda Correctional Facility in October 2022, appeared in court on new charges. "The suspect was found in possession of hunting implements, and was detained for contravening the National Environmental Management and Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 Sec 57 (attempted hunting of a threatened or protected species without a permit).
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SA_2023_04_Prison escapee rearrested at private game reserve is back in court_IOL.pdf | 142 KB |
Two suspects are expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of illegal possession of abalone, reckless and negligent driving and assault on a police official.
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SA_2023_02_Suspects transporting abalone worth R200 000 from Mthatha to Bloemfontein nabbed_IOL.pdf | 219.02 KB |
A Lesotho national is expected to appear in the Ganyesa Magistrate’s Court in the North West on Monday for possession of endangered species. During the operation, a search was conducted in a house at Tlakgameng, leading to the discovery of two pangolins, two dead rock pythons and two dead monkeys.
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SA_2023_02_Police arrest man for possession of endangered species including pangolins_IOL.pdf | 229.94 KB |
Cape Town - Three Saudi nationals have been ordered by the Vredendal Regional Court to pay R2 million to the State after they entered a plea and sentence agreement for being in possession of 1.63 million flora items. NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said on Thursday, "The court ordered Abdulnaser Mohammed Althenaian, his son Mohand Abulnaser Althenaian and Bedah Abdulrahman Albedah to leave South Africa within 48 hours of their release and declared them unfit to possess a firearm."
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SA_2022_11_Saudi nationals to pay R2 million for stealing indigenous plants_IOL.pdf | 145.47 KB |
Cape Town - A 50-year-old Ghanaian national was sentenced in the Kroonstad Regional Court in the Free State after he pleaded guilty for being in possession of abalone.
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SA_2022_11_Ghanaian national sentenced for possession of over R3m abalone_IOL.pdf | 239.38 KB |
Community participation is key to reducing wildlife crimes amid concerns that the country is losing revenue as a result of poaching. Poachers kill elephants for their tusks and rhinos for their horns. The official value of ivory is US$250 per kilogramme yet poachers can sell it for as little as US$50 per kilogramme.
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ZIM_2022_04_Zim losing forex to poaching_The Chronicle.pdf | 380.12 KB |
Cape Town - Police in the Northern Cape have arrested five suspects for the possession of protected plants worth over R600 000. According to the provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Kock, offcers attached to the Springbok Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, Springbok K9 unit and the Springbok Highway Patrol arrested five male suspects along the N14 highway near Springbok on Thursday.
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SA_2022_01_Five arrested for possession of protected plants worth R600 000_IOL.pdf | 174.81 KB |
Cape Town - Nine suspects are expected to appear in the Goodwood Magistrate's Court soon after they were found to be in possession of protected plants. According to the Northern Cape's provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Kock, police members from the Springbok and Kuilsriver Stock Theft and Endangered Species Units (STESU) successfully conducted a joint buy and bust operation.
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SA_2022_01_Nine Northern Cape suspects bust in Cape Town for possession of protected plants_IOL.pdf | 158.5 KB |
Cape Town - Four suspects were arrested by police for the poaching of five rhinos at a private game reserve. Police spokesperson Wesley Twiggs said the four arrested suspects were expected to appear in Ceres Magistrate’s Court after they have been charged. Five rhinos were attacked by poachers at Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve just outside Cape Town last week. Four of the rhinos were killed while the fifth rhino survived a gunshot to the face.
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SA_2021_12_Four suspects to appear in Ceres court for the poaching of five Inverdoorn rhinos_IOL.pdf | 569.08 KB |
Cape Town - Police in the Eastern Cape have arrested a 38-year-old suspect and confiscated abalone with an approximate street value of R3.7 million.
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SA_2021_07_Eastern Cape suspect busted with abalone worth over R3_7 million_IOL.pdf | 989.86 KB |
Cape Town - A 45-year-old man is expected to appear in the Goodwood magistrate's court on Wednesday after he was found in possession of abalone worth over R1.7 million in Cape Town’s northern suburb of Edgemead.
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SA_2021_06_Suspect arrested in Edgemead with over R1_7m worth of abalone to appear in court_IOL.pdf | 215.03 KB |
The Kunene region saw a marked decline in cases of illegal poaching of rhinos in the last five years, with no incident reported last year. Head of operations in the region Deputy Commissioner Jaron Iita said 28 rhinos were poached between 2015 and 2017. Iita said, between 2018 and 2019, there were minimal cases of rhino poaching; however, there were no cases of rhino poaching recorded last year. The Deputy Commissioner said, last year alone, 51 suspects were arrested for attempting to poach rhinos and elephants.
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NAM_2021_03_Rhino poaching declines in Kunene_New Era.pdf | 315.99 KB |