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.
Three poachers were caught red-handed with a hunting rifle fitted with a silencer and ammunition in the Kruger National Park (KNP). According to KNP spokesperson Isaac Phaahla, the arrests were made in the Stolznek Section on Tuesday. In the first six months of 2023 a total of 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa at an average of just under 1.3 rhinos per day.
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SA_2023_11_WATCH_Poachers caught in Kruger National Park_The South African.pdf | 195.52 KB |
A suspect has been arrested after being found with two endangered pangolins inside his home in Kuruman in the Northern Cape.
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SA_2023_07_Two more pangolins rescued from trafficker_The South African.pdf | 201.17 KB |
Lion bones are used to replace tiger bones in fortified tiger wine and Traditional Chinese Medicines. Lion bones are also carved into jewellery. South Africa's legal trade of lion bones to Asia has opened up a fast growing illegal trade of the animal carcass. On Friday, a 43 year old man was arrested for the illegal possession of lion bones destined for Asia.
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SA_2023_06_Lion bones destined for Asia discovered in mans lugguage_The South African.pdf | 351.16 KB |
A 32-year-old poacher, Freedom Siyabonga Ndlovu, was sentenced to 32 years of direct imprisonment for offences related to poaching by the Skukuza Regional Court. The accused had a hand in the killing of three rhinos.
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SA_2023_06_Freedom Ndlovu handed a 32_year sentence for poaching offences_The South African.pdf | 348.6 KB |
This past weekend, police have seized large quantities of abalone in the Eastern Cape and Free State with both consignments allegedly heading to Bloemfontein. In the latest arrest, a 46-year-old suspect was apprehended and police recovered abalone worth over R1 million.
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SA_2023_06_Police seize R1million worth of abalone in Makhanda_The South African.pdf | 181.08 KB |
Four men were arrested for allegedly attempting to sell two endangered pangolins for R200 000 in Mahikeng, North West.
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SA_2023_05_Hawks pounce on pangolin peddlers_four arrested_The SouthAfrican.pdf | 438.91 KB |
Police arrested 26-year-old man on the N6 Road with 16 refuse bags filled with abalone.
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SA_2023_03_Police confiscate bags full of abalone worth over R1 million_The South African.pdf | 422.29 KB |
In an unrelated incident, an integrated operation led to the arrest of two suspects in Gansbaai on Friday, 17 February 2023. The team set up a vehicle checkpoint on the R43 between Gansbaai and Stanford and stopped a suspicious minibus taxi. They searched the vehicle and the occupants and confiscated 3608 units of abalone. This has an estimated to have a street value of R1.4 million.
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SA_2023_02_Two arrested for illegal possession of abalone_The South African.pdf | 167.43 KB |
A 47-year-old accused will appear in the Kabokweni Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, after his DNA was linked to rhino horns found during a search and seizure operation.
The police in the Eastern Cape are searching for poachers who shot, killed, and dehorned two rhinos on a safari farm in Paterson on Wednesday evening, 1 February.
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SA_2023_02_Police on the hunt for rhino poachers who killed two rhino_The South African.pdf | 317.53 KB |
Police said four women are in custody for the possession of lion cubs they were selling in Boksburg North.
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SA_2022_12_Four women in custody for possession of lion cubs they were selling_The South African.pdf | 210.78 KB |
Police thwarted an illegal pangolin sale worth thousands in the east of Pretoria with the help of an environmental activist. Police spokesperson Yeroboam Mbantsane said the environmental activist from the African Pangolin Working Group disguised himself as a potential buyer and approached two men, aged 34 and 27, from the Northern Cape who were selling a live pangolin.
Five people were arrested in Midrand, Gauteng for pangolin trafficking and contravening the National Environmental Management-Biodiversity (NEMBA) Act. The Hawks pounced on the suspects after receiving a tip-off.
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SA_2022_04_Police officer and four others arrested for pangolin dealing in Midrand_The South African.pdf | 380.28 KB |
Pretoria-based police have yet again nabbed suspects who attempted to secretly sell an endangered species, a pangolin, which continues to be a problematic crime in the region. On Friday, four people were arrested during a street sale of a pangolin when the sellers were promised R50 000 in a police trap.
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SA_2022_04_R50 000 pangolin deal leads to sellers being arrested in Pretoria_Pretoria Rekord.pdf | 566.64 KB |
Both of the convicted rhino poachers had entered the Kruger National Park, and one of them was found to be in the country illegally.
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SA_2022_04_Rhino poaching_Two men sentenced for seperate incidents_The South African.pdf | 383.2 KB |
Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson in the Western Cape said the elephant ivory dealer entered into a plea agreement with the State. The court sentenced Ziwande, 38, to "a fine of R10 000 wholly suspended for five years" for the offence, said Hani. He pleaded guilty to one charge under the Contravention of Section 42(1)(b). Ziwande was arrested on 14 May 2021, after the police’s Crime Intelligence provided the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team in Cape Town with a tip-off.
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SA_2022_03_Elephant ivory dealer already in prison sentenced again_The South African.pdf | 859.5 KB |
A 25-year-old man was convicted and sentenced by Kuruman Regional Court after trying to sell a pangolin for R200 000.
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SA_2022_02_Man convicted for illegal possession of pangolin in Northern Cape_The South African.pdf | 214.29 KB |
Swift justice has been meted out for this unfortunate smuggler on Wednesday, after he was promptly arrested at OR Tambo for being in possession of no more than eleven separate rhino horn packages.
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SA_2022_02_Gotcha_Smuggler caught with eleven rhino horns at OR Tambo_The South African.pdf | 298.76 KB |
Police this year arrested about 1 306 people for illegally dealing in precious minerals and elephant tusks, recovering millions of dollars' worth of contraband, a senior officer said on Saturday.
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ZIM_2021_12_Ivory and precious minerals seized_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 127.75 KB |
A rhino horn trader has been sentenced to 14 years in jail, the longest ever prison term a Vietnamese court has handed down for the crime, a local conservation group said on Wednesday. Vietnam is both a consumption hub and popular transit point for the multi-billion-dollar trade in animal parts. Authorities have long vowed to stem the flow of illegal wildlife crisis-crossing its borders, but experts have warned the black market persists thanks to weak law enforcement.
In Côte d'Ivoire, an alleged trafficker operating in the illegal ivory trade was arrested on Friday, November 19, 2021 in the town of Treichville. The alleged trafficker, in possession of two ivory tusks was arrested when he was about to sell the goods in the cables of a jewelry store belonging to him.
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IVO_2021_11_Ivory trafficker caught in Treichville_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 574.31 KB |
Kenya remains a leading spot for laundering proceeds of illegal wildlife trafficking, logging, and fishing in Africa, a report on illicit financial flow by Sentry shows. Dubbed 'Kenya Illicit Finance Risk and Assessment', the report says the country acts as a transshipment site for East Africa. According to the report, Tanzania, Mozambique, Uganda, DRC, Zambia and South Sudan traffic their wildlife products via Kenya heading to Asian countries including China and Hong Kong via Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Singapore.
The 38-year-old poacher was sentenced to 19 years behind bars after a white rhinoceros was killed in Lower Sabie in 2014.
Monrovia, Liberia - Two men have been arrested for killing two protected elephants in northern Liberia, the head of a national park said on Monday.
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LIB_2021-10_2 arrested for killing elephants_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 519.59 KB |
An official from the North West Department of Economic Development, Environment, Conservation and Tourism will appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on Monday 11 October after he was arrested in connection with illegal rhino horn trade. The official and the owner of a security company were arrested on Thursday afternoon in relation to alleged contraventions of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, the Rhino Norms and Standards, and contravention of permit conditions.
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SA_2021_10_Government official to appear in court for rhino horn trade_The South African.pdf | 393.38 KB |
The Nation in August reported the arrest of three Guineans and a Nigerian, and the recovery of N22 billion worth of pangolin scales, claws and elephant tusks from the suspects. Addressing reporters at the Customs Training School, Ikeja, where the seized items were displayed, National Public Relations Officer of the NCS, Deputy Controller Joseph Attah, said experts from the Federal Ministry of Environment, Department of Forestry, would conduct a DNA test on the pangolin scales to know the country where the animals were killed.
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NIG_2021_10_Pangolin poaching_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 532.32 KB |
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has said that its officers have again, for the second time in two months, intercepted a huge catche of Pangolin scale worth N1.7billion in Lagos. This is even as the NCS revealed that findings have indicated that Nigeria is a conduit pipe being used by a yet to be identified international cartel in this illegal trade. Recall that the NCS in August had intercepted a huge catche of Pangolin scales worth N22billion in Lagos.
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NIG_2021_10_ Huge haul of pangolin scales_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 532.51 KB |
Stakeholders of the Tsavo Landscape Multi-Agency Wildlife Security Hub in Taita Taveta have agreed to establish wildlife security hubs to tackle human-wildlife conflicts, illegal trafficking and poaching. The two state of the art centres will be located at Kenya Wildlife Services office in Voi and at the Kasigau wildlife corridor. Wildlife insecurity in Kenya is characterised by poaching, illicit trade, commercial poaching for bush meat and destruction of habitats.
The kingpin of one of Southern Africa's most prolific wildlife trafficking syndicates, Lin Yun Hua, was today sentenced to 14 years in prison in Malawi. Lin received 14 years for dealing in rhino horn, alongside 14 years for possession of rhino horn and six years for money laundering.
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MAL_2021_09_Chinese national imprisoned for 14 years in Malawi_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 129.09 KB |
Zimbabwe Republic Police in Hwange arrested Bokisi Augustine (33) at St Mary's Village for illegally possessing an elephant tusk weighing 11.79 kgs and valued at US$2000.
A 34-year old policeman is recovering in hospital after he was shot and injured during a shootout with rhino poachers in Vredefort in the Free State on Tuesday night.
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SA_2021_09_Hero policeman shot in gun battle with rhino poachers_The SouthAfrican.pdf | 393.65 KB |
Alain Moukombou, Romuald Kassa, Gervais Bamdjogo and Ralph Ngayïkoukoudié, all Gabonese nationals, were arrested on 14 September to Mulundu in Ogooué-Lolo, in possession of six ivory tusks. Placed in custody to view the premises of the Judicial Police (PJ) Koula-moutou, suspected traffickers face up to 10 years in prison.
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GAB_2021_09_Four nationals caught with ivory_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 882.1 KB |
The commune of Mouila, capital of the province of Ngounié, has once again been the scene of an arrest of suspected ivory tusk traffickers. The facts took place on Wednesday, September 8, 2021 around 1 p.m. in a place where the concerned had made an appointment.
At least 249 rhinos were killed in the first six months of this year in South Africa. The bulk of the killings happened at the Kruger National Park, where 132 rhinos were killed.
Members of the Hawks Organised Investigation Unit searched a vehicle and found rhino horns that suspects were attempting to sell. "The pair were arrested during a buy and bust operation where they allegedly attempted to sell the horns. The suspects' vehicle was searched and two rhino horns worth approximately R2.4 million were found," Rikhotso said.
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SA_2021_06_Rhino poaching latest_ Police recover R2_4 million rhino horn_The South African.pdf | 920.99 KB |
The Skukuza Regional Court has handed down a stiff sentence to a 34- year-old man from Mozambique who was recently convicted of several poaching related crimes including the illegal hunting and killing of rhino.
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SA_2021_05_Rhino Poaching Files_Poacher gets 25 years in jail_The South African.pdf | 699.91 KB |
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Chinese national was apprehended at N’djili airport in Kinshasa in possession of ivory. As he was preparing to leave Congolese territory on a flight, a Chinese national named Huang was arrested after the discovery of a large quantity of ivory concealed in a milk box.
The Angolan police arrested seven poachers, including an inspector, in the Bicuar National Park, in Huíla province, who were mainly hunting elephants for the sale of ivory.
Five Mozambican citizens were detained by the National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) in Tete city and Chitima, a village in Cahora-Bassa district, on Monday, having being found in possession of 11 elephant tusks, lions’ teeth, a leopard skin and a pangolin skeleton.
The suspected ivory smuggler from Alberton is facing the full might of the law this week, after two elephant tusks were found in his possession.
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SA_2021_05_Gauteng man busted for possession of two elephant tusks_The South African.pdf | 906.15 KB |
Two suspects have been arrested at the Meru National Park for being in possession of five elephant tusks weighing 28 kilos with a street value of Sh2.8 million.
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KEN_2021_04_Two arrested with tusks in Meru_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 245.69 KB |
Kenya Wildlife Service has arrested a suspected poacher in possession of an elephant tusk at Elerai area in Tsavo West National Park. The tusk is suspected to be one of the two extracted from an elephant which was killed at Losoito in Tsavo West National Park, close to a month ago.
This week, an elephant trampled a suspected poacher to death in the Kruger Park after he ran in to a breeding herd trying to escape rangers. Another three suspected poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park (KNP), this time in the Crocodile Bridge section at the south end of the almost 20,000km² reserve.
A Kwale County government officer has been arrested by police officers after being found in illegal possession of 12 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 35 Kg in Matuga sub-county. The 53-year-old county employee, Josphat Mtoi Kuri, works as a clerical officer in Kinango Sub County was arrested inside a local guest house by a team of security officers drawn from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and Criminal Investigation Department Officers who have been trailing him for some days.
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KEN_2021_04_Kwale man arrested with 12 tusks_Africa Sustainable Conservation News.pdf | 1.59 MB |
Five people including three policemen have ended up in hot soup over possession of wildlife trophies including elephant ivory. According to Bashir Hangi, the Public Relations Manager at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the suspects were arrested in two different incidences in Kampala and Kapelabyong in Teso sub region.
Although the fight is far from over, rhino poaching is in decline. Tough enforcement is part of the solution, but the power of grassroots conservation mustn't be overlooked The sound of Judge Siboleka's gavel reverberated through the Windhoek High Court on April 19, 2019. Four heads bowed in acceptance of egregious crimes. Sternly, Siboleka extended the sentences of Wang Hui, Pu Xuexin, Li Zhihing and Li Xiaoliang from 11 years to 15. Their charge: the illegal export of 14 rhino horns from Namibia in March 2014.
One suspected Zambian ivory poacher was arrested and four others escaped when they were ambushed by police in Namibia while trying to cross into wildlife-rich northern Botswana. The poachers were accosted by a Namibian border patrol unit on the Namibian side of the Linyanti River as they tried to cross into the Okavango Delta on Thursday night.
Two men were sentenced to five years imprisonment or a fine of Ksh. 1million each for being in possession of elephant tusks. A joint security team comprising of police and officers from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) recovered the tusks weighing 28.5 kilograms. The tusks were found to be worth Ksh. 2.85 million.
Increased political buy-in for law enforcement and interdiction efforts at ports in East Africa have pushed wildlife smuggling westward to Nigeria. Between 1998 and 2014, the top two countries associated with ivory seizures were Tanzania and Kenya. Since 2014, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have overtaken them. Corruption at the ports, the involvement of influential politicians, and rural poverty make Nigeria an aractive waypoint for smugglers.
Six men suspected of rhino poaching have been arrested after a white rhino bull was poached in the Okahandja district last week. According to the head of the Blue Rhino task team, Commissioner Barry de Klerk, the carcass of the bull - with its horns removed - was discovered around 07h30 on a private game reserve."Detectives from the task force and the protected species unit of the Namibian police launched an intelligence-driven investigation last Saturday. During a secret operation, two suspects, Jeff Makayi Nadango (36) and Stefanus Muyenga Musore (49), were…