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.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
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).
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2023_02_Police arrest man for possession of endangered species including pangolins_IOL.pdf | 229.94 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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_11_Ghanaian national sentenced for possession of over R3m abalone_IOL.pdf | 239.38 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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_01_Nine Northern Cape suspects bust in Cape Town for possession of protected plants_IOL.pdf | 158.5 KB |
Die drie mans het verlede week hul eerste hofverskyning gemaak nadat hulle op 'n gruispad naby Ohorongo Cement in besit van 'n knaldemper, lewendige ammunisie, 'n jaggeweer, swaarkaliber-ammunisie, 'n mes en 'n panga betrap is. Die vermoede is dat hulle onderweg was om renosters op 'n nabygeleë plaas te stroop.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_08_Beweerde stropers bly in aanhouding_Republikein.pdf | 340.51 KB |
NAM_2021_08_Alleged poachers remain in custody_Republikein_Eng.pdf | 341.23 KB |
Three suspects arrested on poaching charges near Otavi last week were remanded in custody by the Otavi magistrate's court. The three were arrested on a gravel road near the Ohorongo Cement factory on Tuesday. They were found in possession of a silencer, ammunition, one hunting rifle, a knife and a machete. They were suspected to have been on a rhino poaching mission at a nearby farm.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_08_Accused poachers remanded at Otavi_Namibian Sun.pdf | 340.71 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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
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.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2021_06_Suspect arrested in Edgemead with over R1_7m worth of abalone to appear in court_IOL.pdf | 215.03 KB |
Three poachers brutally killed eight calves and mutilated six more on the farm Randveld of Jacques Swartz at around 02:00 on Sunday. The calves were attacked with spears and axes, and their intestines were ripped out. Swartz said he and a few watchmen were doing their night patrol - something they started doing regularly after a similar incident last month when four cattle were killed in a similar incident.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-08_Poaching carnage at Randveld farm_Namibian Sun.pdf | 477.15 KB |
FATF-Mitgliedsländer sollen illegalen Wildtierhandel bestrafen In einem ersten globalen Bericht über den illegalen Handel mit Wildtieren hat die Arbeitsgruppe für Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung von Geldwäsche und Terrorismusfinanzierung (Financial Action Task Force, FATF) diesen als globale Bedrohung beschrieben, vergleichbar mit organisierten Verbrechen wie Sklaverei, Drogen- und Waffenhandel.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2020-07_Wildtierkriminalitat im Fokus_Allgemeine Zeitung.pdf | 263.32 KB |
NAM_2020-07_Focus on wildlife crime_Allgemeine Zeitung_Eng.pdf | 261.96 KB |
Poaching remains a big concern in Namibia, where it shows that poaching is moving away from the National parks and more into private farms and custodian farms. It can be attributed to the intensified security in parks.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2019-07_Poaching decreases compared to last year_Informante.pdf | 1.49 MB |