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Namibia has experienced one of the worst years of rhino poaching in over ten years, with 81 rhinos illegally killed in 2024. Authorities arrested 77 suspects for rhinorelated crimes, 73 of whom were Namibian nationals. According to the document, which was presented at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Geneva, Switzerland, the country's poaching crisis peaked in 2015 with 97 rhinos killed, followed by 84 cases in 2018 and 94 rhinos poached in 2022.

Environment minister Pohamba Shifeta has confirmed that a large tree that was felled last year in Helao Nafidi in the Ohangwena Region was used by criminals to conduct illegal activities. However, he emphasised that harming natural resources should always be a last resort. He urged law enforcement agencies to explore alternative methods of managing crime, rather than resorting to environmental damage. "At this stage the ministry is still investigating if this was part of the preventative measure or if it was simply an oversight on the part of the town council.

The establishment of a first-of-its-kind specialised Environmental Crimes Court in Otjiwarongo has made notable progress in adjudicating wildlife-related crime cases since it began operations at the start of the year. Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the environment ministry, said the development of the court required careful planning among key government stakeholders, including the Office of the Prosecutor General, the justice ministry and the judiciary.

Two communal conservation areas near Khorixas feel betrayed by the decision of the environment ministry to allow mining activities in a joint management area where rhinos are threatened. The conservation areas of Doro ! Nawas and Ûibasen Twyfelfontein recently succeeded in obtaining a court order to stop road construction activities related to mining claims within their nuclear rhino conservation area.

The Doro ! Nawas and Ûibasen Twyfelfontein recently obtained a court order to halt road construction work for planned mining operations to protect rhinos in their area. They are supported by the traditional authority Aodaman and Ultimate Safaris, a tourism partner, in their lawsuit against mining entrepreneurs Ottillie Ndimulunde and Timoteus Mashuna. The lawsuit is also directed against the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Mines, the Commissioner for the Environment and the Commissioner for Mines.

Namibia's recent success in returning a fugitive from South Africa to stand trial has underscored the importance of cooperating with Interpol to adhere to the complexities of the extradition process worldwide.  The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol)'s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Windhoek focusses its global police cooperation activities around Namibia's crime areas of concern, including wildlife crime (particularly stock theft), drug crime, money-laundering, firearms’ trafficking and human trafficking.  The Namibian Police (Nampol) uses its…