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.
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According to SANParks head of communication JP Louw, the rangers acted on information received from Southern Cape Operation Phakisa the day before and conducted a patrol along Forest Hall Road. "Rangers observed a suspicious vehicle in the area, and upon approaching, the individuals fled, leaving behind two bags which were later confirmed to contain abalone," says Louw. Following the discovery, rangers notified the police and a thorough search of the surrounding area resulted in the apprehension of 10 suspects. One managed to escape.
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SA_2024_10_ 10 arrested for abalone poaching_George Herald.pdf | 84.98 KB |
Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is increasingly taking place online, with social media and e-commerce platforms being used to facilitate the sale of endangered species. Data collected from May to July 2024 reveals that 477 online advertisements were detected for 18 protected species across Brazil and South Africa. Shockingly, 78% of these ads were posted on platforms like Facebook, making social media a major player in the online wildlife trade.
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SA_2024_10_Monitoring online illegal wildlife trade_Global Initiative.pdf | 72.14 KB |
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UG_2024_07_Is Ugandas Wildlife Court a paper tiger_newvision.pdf | 665.15 KB |
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SA_2024_06_Poachers hunted by Hawks in George_George Herald.pdf | 618.63 KB |
George Herald's sister publication, Mossel Bay Advertiser, confirmed that it is the horn of one of the white rhinos at Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. The reserve is situated just outside Little Brak River. According to a source close to George Herald, the suspects were stopped at a roadblock between George and Wilderness where the rhino horn was found in their possession. The horn was confiscated but the suspects managed to flee from police. By the time of going to print on Wednesday morning, the suspects were still at large and
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SA_2023_05_Rhino poaching at local game reserve_George Herald.pdf | 441.9 KB |
East and Southern Africa (ESA) is a pivotal node for organized crime, connecting regional criminal markets to global networks. From the shores of Somalia to border crossings and international air and seaports in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, the region serves as a thriving source, hub and conduit for a wide variety of illegal commodities. For example, heroin trafficked from Afghanistan via Pakistan and Iran is shipped across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean by dhow before it is deposited in northern Mozambique and Tanzania.
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SA_2025_09_Mapping organized criminal economies_Global Initiative.pdf | 54.81 KB |