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A courier parcel containing 16 pieces of rhino horn was discovered at the Eros Airport on Friday. The parcel was destined for Malaysia via Johannesburg. The horns were concealed in a parcel from a local courier company, which contained coffee boxes.

The Chinese man who smuggled 18 rhino horns through Hosea Kutako International Airport and was arrested in South Africa has been sentenced to a fine of R1.2 million or six years in prison. He paid the fine and will not spend any time in prison. Ye Zhiwei appeared before the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court last Wednesday.

An outdated law stipulating lenient sentences for wildlife smuggling has led to the granting of bail to two alleged rhino-horn smugglers. The two Chinese nationals who were arrested in January for possession of rhino horns worth more than N$400 000 were granted bail of N$300 000 each yesterday. Yonghui Lu, 41, and Nan Chen, 29, appeared before Magistrate Venessa Stanley in the Windhoek Magistrate's Court and the case was postponed to 21 June for further investigation.

Foreigners who are found guilty of wildlife crimes will not be allowed back in Namibia after completing their jail terms. This is but one of the amendments contained in the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Amendment Bill that was tabled in the National Assembly by the minister of environment and tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, last week. This will apply to foreigners who are found guilty of possession of, and dealing in, elephant and rhino products. Shifeta said a court order would be issued and the person would be declared persona non grata after serving his or…

he number of rhinos killed by poachers this year has risen to five after two more carcasses were found on the farm Okanenampanti belonging to businessman Frans Indongo. Environment ministry spokesman Romeo Muyunda yesterday confirmed these figures to Namibian Sun and said two rhino carcasses were found on Okanenampanti on 17 March. In January, a white rhino carcass without horns was discovered at the farm near Otjiwarongo, which is the location of the Frans Indongo Lodge. One of the carcasses discovered this month was still fresh while the other carcass was old, said Muyunda…

The carcass of another black rhino has been found in the Kunene Region, making it the third rhino poaching incident in Namibia this year. According to the spokesperson of the Namibian Police, Edwin Kanguatjivi, the carcass of a black rhino calf was discovered on 15 March at Kliprivier in the Grootberg area. "The horns of the rhino were hacked off with a sharp unknown object," said Kanguatjivi.

The Chinese national who smuggled 18 rhino horns through Hosea Kutako International Airport and was arrested in South Africa, had received the rhino horns in Windhoek. Ye Zhiwei, 28, who pleaded guilty to charges of importing the rhino horns without the necessary permits in the Kempton Park Regional Court in
South Africa, said in his plea explanation that he had received 15 black rhino horns and three white rhino horns at a hotel in Windhoek.

Foreigners who are found guilty of wildlife crimes should serve out their sentences, be deported and should not be allowed back in Namibia. This is the view of environment minister Pohamba Shifeta, who says the Nature Conservation Ordinance Act is outdated and far too lenient in its sentencing of poachers. According to Shifeta, the ministry is in the process of amending the Act and proposed fines for poaching will range from N$100 000 to N$25 million.

The two Chinese nationals who were arrested last week for possession of rhino horns worth more than N$400 000 appeared in court yesterday and their case was postponed to next month. Yonghui Lu (41) and Nan Chen (29) made their first court appearance before the Windhoek Magistrate Court yesterday. The two Chinese nationals appeared on charges of possession of and dealing in controlled wildlife products. The case was postponed to 13 February for a formal bail hearing.

The Chinese national, who smuggled 18 rhino horns through the Hosea Kutako International Airport and was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, has pleaded guilty to all charges against him. Ye Zhiwei, 28, appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court in South Africa this week for dealing in rhino horn under the Endangered Species Act and will appear on 10 February again for sentencing.

Four rhinos, including a prized bull, were shot on private land near Gobabis, however, the poachers only got away with the horns of two.

Local environmentalists warn Chinese nationals. About 40 environmental organisations have issued a stern warning to Chinese nationals involved in criminal activities in the country.

A shootout in Bwabwata National Park has left one poacher dead with three that got away and the public is warned they are armed and dangerous. A poacher was on Monday fatally shot during crossfire between an anti-poaching unit and a group of poachers in the Bwabwata National Park.

Elephant and rhino poached, poachers arrested. In what marks a bloody few days for Namibia's wildlife, authorities have scored some major successes with busts and arrests.

Two Chinese nationals who were caught at the roadblock to the Hosea Kutako International Airport with pieces of elephant tusk will appear in court today. The two were arrested at the Kapps Farm roadblock on Wednesday afternoon when alert police officials searched their vehicle. According to the spokesperson of the Namibian police, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi the two men were arrested between 12:00 and 14:00 at the roadblock.

A sergeant in the Namibian police has been arrested in connection with a case in which a Chinese national was arrested with 18 rhino horns at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg last week. Sergeant Pendapala Abraham Iitula,42, who worked at Hosea Kutako International Airport, appeared before the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura yesterday on a charge of defeating and obstructing the course of justice.

Full-scale investigations have been launched into activities at the Hosea Kutako International Airport after it was determined that the 18 rhino horns that a Chinese national was found in possession of in Johannesburg, were detected by scanners at Hosea Kutako International Airport. However, even though the scanners detected the rhino horns in the luggage of Ye ZhiWe, 28, who was in transit from Windhoek to Hong Kong, he was still allowed to board a South African Airways flight bound for Johannesburg.

A Chinese national in transit from Windhoek to Hong Kong was arrested with 18 rhino horns at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday afternoon. Namibian Police spokesperson Edwin Kanguatjivi yesterday confirmed that the 28-year-old Chinese man was arrested in South Africa after he departed from Hosea Kutako International Airport on Wednesday morning at 06:40.

The State has asked that the four Chinese men found guilty of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns and a leopard skin from Namibia should be sentenced to six years in prison.

The evidence of the Chinese nationals who were arrested in Namibia’s biggest rhino horn smuggling case to date, was rejected by Magistrate Alexis Diergaardt as false and they were found guilty of the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. The landmark case, which has been dragging on for more than two years, finally came to an end on Friday when Diergaardt made her judgment at the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura finding the four Chinese nationals guilty on two of the three counts they were charged with. Diergaardt said that she found the four men…

Seven alleged rhino poachers were refused bail last week in the Omararu Magistrate's Court following protests and petitions by the community against their release.

The long-awaited judgement in the trail in which four Chinese nationals stand accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth millions out of Namibia has again been postponed. A large media contingent yesterday gathered at court ready to hear the judgement in the largest rhino horn smuggling trial in Namibia, but had to turn away disappointed when it was postponed for almost a month to 13 September.

The search for a wildlife warrior to lead the national anti-poaching unit is continuing. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism is still searching for a suitable candidate to spearhead the country’s anti-poaching unit and will consider headhunting a candidate should the right person for the job not be found. Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta told Namibian Sun that the recruitment process started months ago but they have not found a suitable candidate.

Thirty-five rhino carcasses have been discovered that were poached last year, raising the 2015 figure to 125 rhinos killed. The Ministry of Environment and Tourism yesterday announced this new statistic and said poachers had killed 37 rhinos so far this year.

The judgement which has been described as Namibia’s biggest rhino horn smuggling case to date, will finally be delivered next month. Four Chinese nationals stand accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2 million out of Namibia.

Private conservation group COVER (Conserving our Valuable Rhino and Elephant) has halted its anti-poaching operations, due to an ongoing legal battle against the founder of the organisation. The court case, which is pending in the High Court, stems from an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into the alleged misuse of funds raised for rhino protection during the so-called Black Tie event last year, which included a wine auction.

More than two years after the biggest rhino horn smuggling case in Namibia was uncovered, the defence rested on Tuesday after the alleged kingpin that was pulling the strings in Namibia took the stand. The case, which involves four Chinese nationals Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui, was postponed in the Windhoek Regional Court for closing arguments on 20 May. The four men were arrested for trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million and a leopard skin valued at N$50 000 out of Namibia.

The State yesterday painted a picture of the pecking order among the four Chinese men accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of Namibia. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui yesterday appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura for the continuation of their trial. They are charged with trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million and a leopard skin valued at N$50 000 out of Namibia. The items were found in two suitcases at Hosea Kutako International Airport on March 24 last year.

State prosecutor Simba Nduana yesterday told one of the Chinese men standing trial in Namibia’s largest rhino-horn-smuggling case that he and one of his co-accused had concocted a “cock and goose” story for the court that was filled with inconsistencies. Li Xiaoliang was cross-examined in the Windhoek Regional Court as the trial of Xiaoliang and his co-accused, Li Zinbing, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui, continued.

South Africa last week announced that the number of rhinos poached during 2015 had gone down from the 1 215 record total in 2014 to 1 175 in 2015. The wildlife trade monitoring network, TRAFFIC’s Director of Policy Sabri Zain said in a statement that although there was a slight decrease in rhino poaching in South Africa and the authorities are having some impact on the ground, the numbers are hardly cause for celebration or complacency.

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, was in the Etosha National Park last week and unearthed a range of irregularities. He says the park regulations are not being obeyed. Shifeta stressed that action will be taken against those who do not comply with the rules of the park, but that this action will depend on what rules are broken. He said it is a privilege for anyone to visit or stay at Etosha and the park must be respected. "It is our national heritage."

The State has closed its case in Namibia’s biggest rhino horn smuggling trial to date, in which four Chinese nationals stand accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of the country. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura last week for the continuation of their trial. They were arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million and a leopard skin valued at N$50 000 out of Namibia. The items were found in two luggage bags at the Hosea Kutako International Airport on March 24 last…

The State has suffered a huge blow in a rhino smuggling case, after the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura ruled that the evidence three of the four accused gave in their bail hearings cannot be used in their trial. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin, whose bail evidence was ruled on, appeared with Wang Hui yesterday. They were arrested for trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million and a leopard skin worth N$50 000 out of Namibia last year.

The State and the defence have locked horns over the constitutional right of the accused not to incriminate themselves, in a landmark rhino horn smuggling trial involving Chinese nationals, whose families are reportedly blissfully unaware of their legal troubles in Namibia. Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui appeared yesterday in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura. They have been arrested for trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns worth more than N$2.3 million and a leopard skin of N$50 000 out of Namibia last year.

Another two black rhinos have been found poached in the Etosha National Park, and a rhino calf is still missing, after poachers struck again this week. This brings the total number of rhinos that have been killed in the country to 79 for the year so far. Police spokesperson Inspector Slogan Matheus confirmed that two black rhinos had been found dead at Etosha with their horns hacked off.

Namibia has already lost three times the number of rhinos in 2015 compared to that of last year. A total of 77 rhinos and 37 elephants have been poached so far this year. This was confirmed by the Director of Parks and Wildlife Management in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Colgar Sikopo on Friday. Namibia has experienced a sharp increase in cases of rhino poaching over the past five years. Namibia lost one rhino to poaching in 2009 and 2010 respectively; two rhinos were illegally killed in 2012, four in 2013 and 25 last year.

Chief Inspector Barry de Klerk of the Namibian Police’s Protective Resources Unit delivered explosive evidence in his testimony in the trail of four Chinese nationals accused in Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling case. De Klerk described the hierarchy of an organised Chinese Triad. He revealed that Wang Hui was the kingpin in the group and said he was offered a bribe to ensure that Wang escaped justice. De Klerk said the bribery attempt is still being investigated.

The Chinese national who is suspected of being the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases was found with gold, bank cards, bank books as well as other suspect items when he was arrested. Wang Huii, who operates an import and export company in Otjiwarongo, stands accused along with three other Chinese nationals Li Xiaoliang, Li Zhibing, Pu Xuexin who all appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday for the continuation of their trial. 

The trial in which four Chinese nationals stand accused of trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of Namibia has been postponed until next month after the defence objected to the screening of video footage yesterday. Although the court was prepared and ready to view a video recording submitted by the State, the defence argued that the recording had no forensic significance.

The slaughter of Namibia’s rhino population continues unabated, with two more black rhinos killed. The latest poaching of two black rhino bulls in the Epacha Game Reserve last month brought to more than 70 the number of rhinos killed in the country. The spokesperson of the Namibian Police, Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi, said the first rhino bull was found at Epacha Farm on August 23 with its horns still intact.

The anti-poaching organisation Conserving Our Valuable Elephant and Rhino (Cover) said yesterday that an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into the misuse of funds raised to help protect rhino is in an advanced stage. At the same time the founder of Cover, Jofie Lamprecht, responded to recent criticism against the organisation and gave an update about the first private anti-poaching unit that has been trained by French outfit Wildlife Angel.

In the trial involving four Chinese nationals arrested for trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of the country, the state witness was hammered during cross examination for omitting certain facts. Li Zinbing, Li Xiaoliang, Pu Xuexin and Wang Hui appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court at Katutura on Friday. They were arrested on charges of attempting to smuggle rhino horns worth more than N$2,3 million and a leopard skin worth N$50 000 out of the country.

The slaughter of Namibia’s rhino continues, with yet another being poached - this time on a privately owned game farm in the Otjozondjupa Region. This was the third white rhino that has been poached on Farm Okamahoro since the middle of last month. The farm is situated approximately 35km west of Okahandja. Okamahoro Farm no. 20 is privately owned and farms with a variety of game, including rhinos. According to Otjozondjupa police spokesperson Warrant Officer, Maureen Mbeha, a female rhino carcass was discovered last Thursday.

The arrest of a Chinese national suspected of co-ordinating rhino horn smuggling from Namibia is among the major successes that has been achieved by an international law-enforcement operation combating wildlife crime. The operation - codenamed ‘Operation COBRA III’ - was conducted during May and involved a series of raids conducted across Asia, Africa and Europe, resulting in more than 300 arrests of suspects, including kingpins, and over 600 seizures of assorted wildlife contraband. There have also been more tip-offs leading to the unearthing of criminal networks and their…

Four Chinese suspects, who were arrested in connection with allegedly trying to smuggle 14 rhino horns out of the Namibia, will now be appearing together in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura at the end of the month. This follows a decision by the Office of the Prosecutor-General that 40-year-old Wang Huii, who was arrested last month at the Windhoek Country Club, should appear together with three other Chinese suspects who were arrested last year.

The Opuwo Magistrate’s Court has applied for a warrant of arrest for a Chinese national, who was arrested for dealing in illegal rhino horns last year. The warrant will be executed it if he fails to appear before the court within the next two weeks. Dejin Xu, who was allegedly found with two rhino horns during a sting operation in February last year, was due to appear in the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for plea and trial. Prosecutor Obert Tavengwa Masendeke said the court was yesterday presented with a doctor’s letter stating that he is unable to attend the proceedings…

The Kunene Region has been free of rhino poaching for nearly five months. This was revealed by Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) Namibia chief operating officer, Dr Axel Hartmann, during a debate about legalising the trade in rhino horns in Namibia.

There has been a major breakthrough with the arrest of a Chinese man whom the police believe to be the kingpin in one of Namibia’s biggest rhino-horn smuggling cases. Wang Huii was arrested on Monday at the Windhoek Country Club and has been charged with the possession and export of controlled wildlife products. He appeared in the Windhoek Regional Court in Katutura yesterday. The 40-year-old Huii is being linked to the three Chinese men who were arrested with 14 rhino horns last year at the Hosea Kutaku International Airport.

Another two white rhinos have been poached on a game farm near Okahandja, pushing the number of rhino carcasses that have been discovered in Namibia this year up to 62. Police spokesperson Inspector Slogan Matheus yesterday confirmed that two white rhinos were discovered on farm Okamahoro in the Snyrivier District. The game farm is situated approximately 30km outside of Okahandja.

Suspects have been identified in the ongoing Etosha National Park poaching spree and arrests are expected soon. This is according to Tourism and Environment Minister Pohamba Shifeta, who also announced that the reward money for information leading to the arrest of the poachers had been doubled from N$30 000 to N$60 000. The minister said there had already been breakthroughs in the north-eastern regions, including Zambezi, where six suspects had been arrested.