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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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A joint operation by the Special Wildlife Crime Unit and the Uganda Police Force has led to the arrest of a suspected ivory trafficker and the recovery of 154 kilograms of raw elephant ivory in Northern Uganda. The suspect, Francis Opiro, was apprehended on February 22, 2026, in Nwoya District while in possession of ten pieces of raw elephant tusks. Authorities confirmed that he will be arraigned before the Standards, Utilities and Wildlife Court to face charges of unlawful possession of protected wildlife specimens, contrary to the Uganda Wildlife Act Cap 315.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| UGAN_2026_02_Uganda_Ivory trafficker arrested with 154kg of elephant tusks_AllAfrica.pdf | 54.07 KB |
Wildlife and environmental crimes, like most crimes, are motivated by money Almost all will involve a transaction or purchase before, during or after the crime even if it is not directly related to the commission of the crime. These transactions leave an indelible record in financial systems that investigators can use. Financial investigation can be used to provide intelligence and evidence of criminality such as identity, properties, vehicles, lifestyle and movements of offenders, co-conspirators, and victims.
The illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products globally is estimated to be worth more than USD72 billion annually, ranking alongside the illegal trafficking of narcotics, arms, and humans. This illegal trade, like other transnational crimes, involves a complex network of various individuals with the ultimate goal of moving the commodities from source to consumer.