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Namibian Wildlife Crimes article archive

This archive of published media articles about wildlife crime in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to articles
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife crime reporting in Namibia

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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Displaying results 1 - 21 of 21
Monday, 30 October 2023
Edozie V 2023. Nigeria: Customs seizes pangolins, elephant tusk worth N680 Million.

The Eastern Marine Command of Nigeria Customs Service in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said it has made a significant breakthrough in combating wildlife trafficking by intercepting a substantial quantity of pangolin scales, elephant tusks and sacks of used second hand shoes worth N680,290,400 in its area of operation.

Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Makong B 2023. Kenya: Indonesian arrested at JKIA with 38.4kg ivory stock valued at Sh10mn.

Authorities have apprehended an Indonesian in an ivory smuggling operation after uncovering 38.4kg ivory consignment valued at approximately Sh10 million. The suspect was arrested at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Shekighenda L 2023. Tanzania: Anti-poaching drive pays off.

Dr Chana added that in Ruaha - Rungwa ecological system buffalo population has increased by 80 per cent, zebra 36 per cent and antelope 65 per cent compared to the census conducted in 2018. "The black rhino which are among the endangered species have increased by 27.5 per cent compared to their population in 2018," Dr Chana said. "The increase in wildlife population is an indication of strengthened security and management of conserved ar- eas," she added. The minister said that the achievements have been also contributed by the government efforts to conduct patrols…

Monday, 30 January 2023
2023. Kenya: Police officer arrested with Sh2.1mn worth elephant tusks to be charged.

Meru - A police officer who was arrested over the weekend with elephant tusks worth Sh2.1 million is due to be charged in court. The officer had been arrested in Meru Township while carrying the tusks that he intended to sell to a potential buyer. Police together with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials were tipped off before they moved in and found him carrying the same. The officer later led the team to another accomplice in the area in the Saturday morning operation. The men are expected in court Monday to face charges of possession and trafficking of the tusks.

Friday, 2 December 2022
Mkwanda N 2022. Malawi: Zambian national gets 15 years prison sentence in MK53 million wildlife crime.

Senior Resident Magistrate Wanangwa Nyirenda on Thursday, December 1st 2022, sentenced Zambian national Kelby Roy Malambo to 15 years imprisonment with hard labour for the three charges he faced in the MK53m wildlife crime case involving elephant ivory.

Friday, 7 October 2022
Mtawali W 2022. Malawi: Zambian national guilty, convicted in MK53 million wildlife crime, awaits sentencing.

Malambo, who started defending himself on 8 March this year, was found with 22 pieces of raw ivory, weighing 64.905 kilograms and valued at about MK53 million. He was arrested at Mwami Border Total Filling Station in Mchinji in February, 2021.

Thursday, 2 June 2022
2022. Kenyan pleads guilty to conspiracy to traffic rhino horn, ivory in Manhattan.

A Kenyan has pleaded guilty to conspiring to traffic in rhino horns and elephant ivory in a in Manhattan Federal Court. According to Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Mansur Mohamed Surur was involved in the illegal poaching of more than approximately 35 rhinoceros and more than 100 elephants.

Sunday, 29 May 2022
Mtawali W 2022. Malawi: Court adjourns hearing of defense in Mk53m wildlife crime involving Zambian national.

Malambo was found with 22 pieces of raw ivory, weighing 64.905 kilograms valued at about MK53 million at Mwami Border Total Filling Station in Mchinji in February 2021, which led to his arrest.

Monday, 25 April 2022
Bafeli F 2022. Cameroon: Four traffickers arrested with 4 elephant tusks and other wildlife species.

Four traffickers have been arrested for trafficking in ivory tusk, pangolin, and chimpanzee.

Sunday, 20 March 2022
Taruvinga M 2022. Zimbabwe: Poachers use cyanide to kill jumbo in Lupane.

Zimparks rangers stumbled upon a decomposing elephant carcass suspected to have fallen victim to cyanide poisoning in Lupane.

Friday, 4 March 2022
Ekott I 2022. Nigeria: Inside Nigerias shocking wildlife crimes and how culprits escape justice.

Our analysis of wildlife crimes data, supported by numerous interviews, finds evidence of systematic failure by Nigerian law enforcement and the judicial system to hold wildlife poachers and traffickers accountable.

Sunday, 20 February 2022
2022. Mozambique: Eleven elephant tusks seized in Tete.

Officers of Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (Sernic) have seized eleven elephant tusks in a house in the western city of Tete, according to a report in Sunday's on-line issue of the independent daily "O Pais".

Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Ilunga P 2021. Congo-Kinshasa: U.S. imposes visa ban on 8 linked to wildlife trafficking.

The US on Monday announced visa restrictions on eight DR Congo nationals involved in wildlife trafficking, in the latest whip on supposed illegal revenues fuelling conflict in the central African nation. The eight people, believed to be connected business and political players in the country, are accused of having a hand in trafficking of ivory, pangolin scales and rhino horn; products of endangered species.

Wednesday, 8 December 2021
Maulid K 2021. Tanzania: Court re-sentenced "Queen of Ivory" to 15 years in jail.

The Kisutu Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday re-sentenced "Queen of Ivory," Chinese Yang Feng Clan and two Tanzanians to 15 years imprisonment each for leading organized crime on 860 pieces of elephant tusks, which are government trophies, valued at over 13bn/-.

Monday, 16 August 2021
2021. Nigeria: Combating crime against wild life.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NSC) recently announced the seizure of huge wildlife products including elephant tusks and other endangered species. And in Lagos, among some wealthy people, no party is complete without a display and barbecue of some protected animals, as seen in some trending videos on social media. It should worry the authorities that our country is fast becoming a huge jungle.

Thursday, 12 August 2021
Kapama F 2021. Tanzania: Court upholds 30-year jail term imposed on poacher.

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.

Tuesday, 3 August 2021
2021. Mozambique: No elephant poaching recorded in Niassa Reserve.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi announced on Saturday that, for the third consecutive year, no elephants have been poached in the Niassa National Reserve in the far north of the country, or in the Gorongosa National Park in the central province of Sofala.

Thursday, 29 July 2021
2021. Zimbabwe: Seven armed robbers, poachers arrested.

"Meanwhile, on July 25, 2021 at Chatseka area, Mutawatawa, Murewa, police also arrested Joseph Kabunze (67), Perfect Kabunze (29), Chatseka Mapuranga (39) and Makwanya Kahwiti (29) for unlawful possession of ivory." The arrest led to the recovery of 4 pieces of elephant tusks weighing 12,5kg valued at US$2 635.

Friday, 11 June 2021
Walter J 2021. Kenya: 'Stop killing the elephants!' Worry as rampant poaching threatens wildlife.

The killing of two elephants in Kalacha this week has once again shone the spotlight on rampant poaching in Marsabit County, which is threatening to wipe out wildlife in the region. Authorities recovered two rifles and four rounds of ammunition in a security operation following the incident. County Police Commander Martin Kibet said a bullet obtained from one of the carcasses would be subjected to ballistic testing. The two elephants were killed when they strayed from Marsabit Forest via Hurri Hills into Kalacha. A third elephant was rescued by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)…

Thursday, 27 May 2021
Ocharo B 2021. Kenya: Nine Kenyan suspects linked to notorious Liberian ivory smuggler.

New evidence supplied by the US government links two Kenyans implicated in Sh570 million ivory smuggling to notorious Liberian poacher and ivory trafficker Moazu Kromar. Documents filed in a Mombasa court claim Kenyan businessman Abdulrahman Mahmoud Sheikh alias Said Juma Said and his son Sheikh Mahmoud Abdulrahman received instructions from Mr Kromar to facilitate ivory smuggling. The Liberian poacher was extradited to the US in 2019, where he is facing ivory-trafficking charges. Mr Mahmoud, his son and six other Kenyans are facing ivory smuggling charges in Mombasa.

2021. Tanzania: More than 33,380 poachers arrested in past 5 years.

A total of 33,386 poachers have been arrested in the past five years, thanks to the intensified anti-poaching campaign initiated by the National Anti-Poaching Task Force (NTAP). Mr Nduhiye noted that in the past five years the task force managed to intercept various trophies including 14,741 pieces of ivory tusks, 25 rhinoceros horns, 10 live pangolins and 962 tortoises.

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