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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The Texan faces accusations of violating South African law after several carcasses were found that had no paperwork. A controversial figure in the rhino horn trade debate was arrested last week after more than 20 rhino carcasses were found at his game farm in Limpopo. The arrest of Derek Lewitton was made by the Hawk, after they investigated his Harmony game farm for more than 16 hours. During the searches, members of the Hawks discovered multiple rhino carcasses missing their horns.
Sixteen suspects appeared before the Nelspruit Commercial Crimes Court on 31 May 2023 to face charges related to money laundering and corruption connected to the illicit trade of rhino horns. The accused were apprehended during the course of "Project Blood Orange", which saw an investigation conducted by the Serious Corruption Investigation unit of the Hawks in Mpumalanga.
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SA_2023_06_16 suspects appear in court after being bust for illicit rhino horns trade_The Citizen.pdf | 356.25 KB |
Hidden in the boot inside a bag, police found a pangolin estimated to be worth R150 000. In a collaborative operation involving the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation and other enforcement agencies, police arrested a 59-year-old suspected pangolin dealer in Gravelotte, near Tzaneen, on Wednesday, 17 May 2023.
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SA_2023_05_Suspected pangolin trafficker arrested in Gravelotte_The Citizen.pdf | 309.83 KB |
The police in the Khomas region are investigating three cases of murder in which three male persons aged between 24 and 30 were shot dead on Sunday and yesterday. According to the brief reports shared by the police regional community affairs Silas Shipandeni, the police are investigating the matter in which two suspected poachers were shot at Farm Hoffnung No 66, in the Windhoek District on Sunday around 17h00. Shipandeni indicated that an unknown man was fatally wounded and died on the spot while the other one was injured on the left thigh.
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NAM_2022_10_Suspected poacher shot dead_New Era.pdf | 266.33 KB |
A 41-year-old South African national has appeared in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court on Monday after a dead python was found in the truck he was driving. According to the Khomas police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Silas Shipandeni, Ayanda Gxoyiyana was arrested at the Windhoek-Okahandja roadblock after the police pulled him over for a routine search and found a freshly killed python in his truck's toolbox.
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NAM_2022_03_Police discover python carcass in SA truck_New Era.pdf | 366.57 KB |
At farm Otjirukaku on the B8 road, a 23-year-old male was shot and wounded allegedly by a farmer while attempting to poach wildlife on the property. The victim’s friend managed to flee the scene unharmed. The victim is currently hospitalised in a local hospital and his condition is stable, according to the authorities.
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NAM_2021_11_Katima man raped_suspected poacher shot_New Era.pdf | 468.46 KB |
The Court of Appeal has upheld the 30-year imprisonment sentence imposed on poacher, Ng'waja Serengeta, for unlawful possession of three pieces of elephant tusks valued at 15,000 US dollars (about 34.8m/-), which are government trophies.
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TAN_2021_08_Court Upholds 30-Year Jail Term Imposed On Poacher_allAfrica.com_.pdf | 135.71 KB |
The police in the Omusati region have arrested two men for allegedly illegally hunting protected game. According to the regional crime investigations coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho, the offences were committed on 17 October 2020 around 18h00 at Omutambowomawe and Okaonde areas in the Ruacana constituency. He said the suspects used their private vehicle to transport illegally hunted game meat, of which the police recovered one carcass of eland, three duikers, a dik-dik, a rabbit and a bow white bird.
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NAM_2020-10_Two nabbed for hunting game_New Era.pdf | 296.96 KB |
Well-heeled businessmen are allegedly driving the trade in poached rhino horn in Namibia, using marginal communities as foot soldiers, an amaBhungane/The Namibian investigation has revealed. The role of local entrepreneurs in the horn trade has not previously been highlighted. The popular perception in Namibia is that Chinese nationals are the kingpins in charge of the trade.
Police are investigating an employee of a multinational courier company for attempting to smuggle rhino horns through Eros airport, police spokesperson, commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi said yesterday.
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NAM_2017-05_Courier worker suspected in rhino horn smuggling_The Namibian.pdf | 249.22 KB |
The police this week arrested two Zambians and two Namibians in the Zambezi region after they were found with elephant tusks and rhino horns.
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NAM_2017-03_Four arrested over Zambezi poaching_The Namibian.pdf | 191.68 KB |
The Chinese embassy in Namibia said it will not allow a few of its nationals who have been arrested in connection with poaching to tarnish their country's image.
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NAM_2016-12_Criminal Chinese tarnishing name_The Namibian.pdf | 466.32 KB |