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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.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
Pretoria - In a significant victory against rhino trafficking and wildlife related cases, a 54-year old wanted fugitive Zimbabwean national, Thomas Chauke, also known as Sazu Nkambuya has been convicted and sentenced to 110 years' imprisonment. This follows a meticulous and extensive investigation by the detectives attached to the SAPS Head Office, Stock Theft and Endangered Species (STES) which led to successful conviction and sentencing of Chauke on six counts of rhino poaching and wildlife related cases, and three counts of escaping from lawful custody.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| SA_2025_04_South African Police Service_Media Statement.pdf | 77.03 KB |
Lyon, France - Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Operation Thunder 2024 (11 November - 6 December) brought together police, customs, border control, forestry and wildlife officials from 138 countries and regions, marking the widest participation since the first edition in 2017.
Berlin, Germany - The Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, INTERPOL and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are joining forces to combat the devastating impact of environmental crime. With a EUR 5 million investment from the German government's International Climate Initiative (IKI), the three-year project aims to identify and prevent transnational crimes impacting the climate, biodiversity and the environment across five key areas: fisheries crime, forestry crime, illegal mining, pollution crime, and wildlife crime.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| INT_2025_01_Tackling Environmental Crime_Germany_INTERPOL and WWF unite efforts_Interpol.pdf | 479.66 KB |
The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) of the Nigeria Customs Zone D, Bauchi has declared that its
operatives have arrested and seized 216 kgs of Pangolin scales worth the sum of N432m.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| NIG_2023_06_Customs impounds pangolin scales worth N432m_Nigerian Tribune.pdf | 255.36 KB |
Singapore - An eight-week INTERPOL operation against wildlife crime and trafficking resulted in arrests and seizures across Asia and Africa. Codenamed Golden Strike, the operation - which ended late last year - targeted the criminals and networks smuggling wildlife protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) from Africa to Asia.
Members of Upington Highway patrol have arrested a male suspect in connection with possession of Endangered Species. Police got information about the suspect yesterday and it was operationalized. The suspect was found at a hiking spot in Upington hitch hiking to Olifantshoek. He was searched and pangolin skin was found in his luggage. It is valued at about R108 750.00, weighing 2,05 kg.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| SA_2021-01_Man arrested for posession of pangolin skin_SAPS.pdf | 130.92 KB |