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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 - 28 of 28
Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Smit E 2022. Meer bronne nodig teen stropery.

Kameras sal Etosha help polisieer. Die land se gewysigde oorkoepelende plan teen wildmisdade wil eenvormige benadering vir doeltreffende afdwing van wette verseker.

Cameras will help police Etosha. The country's amended overarching plan against wildlife crimes seeks to ensure a uniform approach to effective law enforcement.

Monday, 27 June 2022
Newman J 2022. Twenty years since a massive ivory seizure, what lessons were learned?.

In late June 2002, the container ship MOL Independence docked at a Singapore port after a voyage of almost a month from Durban in South Africa. On board was a consignment which had been on a far longer journey. Beginning in an industrial area on the outskirts of Lilongwe, the capital of landlocked Malawi in southern Africa, the container was taken by road to the port of Beira in neighboring Mozambique and loaded onto a feeder vessel to Durban. According to the Bill of Lading, its contents were stone sculptures.

Wednesday, 22 June 2022
2022. The long and tricky road to prosecuting wildlife-trafficking kingpin Moazu Kromah and his network.

Liberian Moazu Kromah - known as "Kampala Man" - led one of the most active wildlife-trafficking syndicates on the African continent before his arrest in the Ugandan capital in February 2017. Just more than five years later, in March 2022, more than 11,000km away from the city in which he based his operation and from which his alias derives, Kromah quietly entered into a plea bargain with the Southern District of New York (SDNY), which is known for tackling high-profile organised crime and corruption cases.

Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Movirongo C 2022. Conservation groups join forces to ramp up efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade.

The Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) and Conservation Strategy Fund (CSF) recently announced a long-term landmark partnership focused on better comprehending the current state of knowledge about the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), and the economics of IWT in southern Africa.

Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Juma M 2022. Why giraffe killings are top on poacher's hit list in Manyara.

From the investigations, it is believed that villagers in the area collude with people from other regions in trapping and killing the giraffe, while crossing the Mswakini and Kwakuchinja wildlife corridors.

Tuesday, 21 June 2022
2022. Trafficking crackdown pays off in Tanzania.

In Katavi National Park, like other protected areas in Tanzania, wildlife poaching is a serious challenge. This is because the park has no fence, and any person can easily enter and kill animals if he is lucky enough to walk out uncaught. According to the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) website, more elephants are dying from poaching than from natural causes or conflict with humans.

Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Smit E 2022. Wildlife protection gaps identified.

New strategy aimed at defining common approaches for the protection and conservation of wildlife and to ensure the effective enforcement of laws governing wildlife resources in Namibia.

Friday, 17 June 2022
2022. Police, poacher injured in shootout.

Ongwediva - A daring raid inside Namibia's most popular and well-protected national parks by poachers left a suspect and a police officer fighting for their lives. The attempt by poachers was foiled by police on Thursday around 04h40 and two suspected poachers were arrested. When the police approached, the would-be poachers opened fire on the security personnel resulting in the officers responding with more fire. A 19-old-year old suspected poacher and a 37-year-old police officer were injured during the exchange of fire.

Friday, 17 June 2022
Smit E 2022. Only 142 convicted for poaching since 2017.

More than 40% of the 987 suspects arrested in connection with elephant and rhino wildlife crimes over the past five years are currently free on bail. Statistics show that 415 of the close to 1 000 persons arrested on elephant and rhino crime charges were released on bail, while only 142 of those detained since 2017 have been convicted of their crimes to date. Meanwhile, more than 87% of the 987 arrested suspects are Namibians. This is according to statistics shared by deputy commissioner Barry de Klerk, head of the protected resources division and the Blue Rhino Task Team.

Friday, 17 June 2022
Smit E 2022. 142 in vyf jaar skuldig bevind aan stropery.

Meer as 40% van die 987 verdagtes wat sedert 2017 weens olifant- en renosterwildmisdade in hegtenis geneem is, is op borgtog vrygelaat. Statistieke toon 415 van dié verdagtes is tans op borgtog, terwyl slegs 142 skuldig bevind is. Daarbenewens is meer as 87% Namibiërs. Die hoof van die eenheid vir beskermde hulpbronne en die Blou Renoster-taakspan, adj.komm. Barry de Klerk, het dié statistieke by die Nasionale Belanghebbersforum oor Wildmisdaad en Wetstoepassing gedeel.

Sunday, 12 June 2022
Zwinoira T 2022. The Zimbabwe Park Authority tightens security in Hwange National Park.

By building these new campgrounds, ZimParks wants to prevent a repeat of the 2013 massacre of more than 120 elephants who were poisoned by poachers. Farawo said when the elephants were poisoned, it was difficult for ZimParks to move from the main camp to the site. He added that having on-site housing would also make it easier for rangers to respond to wildlife affecting nearby communities. One of the closest communities to the park is the district of Tsholotsho, which is about 10 kilometers away. Farawo said building Makona will ensure rangers can protect elephants.

Monday, 6 June 2022
2022. Intensify war on poaching.

The exploits of three Kenyans charged in a US court with ivory and rhino horn trafficking have brought the war against poaching back to focus. Abubakar Mansur Mohammed Surur, 62, who pleaded guilty to poaching charges in a US court, and his accomplices made Sh864.8 million in seven years from the illegal sale of ivory and rhinoceros horns.

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.

Wednesday, 27 January 2021
2021. Nigeria Customs intercepts huge haul of pangolin scales, ivory.

Authorities put the value of the seizure at N952million and say the items were headed to Vietnam. Mohammed Abba-Kura, Customs Comptroller, said at a media briefing on Tuesday in Lagos that the items were contained in a one-unit 20-feet container with number CSLU 2362640 heading to Haiphong, Vietnam. He said the items, falsely declared as furniture, comprised 162 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 8,800kg and 57 sacks of mixed endangered species of various sizes such as ivory/animal horns, lion bones and others.

Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Maromo J 2021. Bail denied for trio arrested for being in possession of elephant tusks.

Pretoria - Three men arrested by the police in Limpopo as they attempted to sell elephant tusks valued at R168 000 to undercover law enforcement officers were on Monday denied bail by the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court. Limpopo police provincial spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the trio were arrested on Friday at Savannah Mall and were allegedly in possession of elephant tusks.

Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Smit E 2021. Inside the mind of a wildlife crime offender: National parks are the prime hunting grounds for convicted poachers serving time in Namibian prisons, a new study has found.

It reveals how some offenders identified the Zambezi Region, which lies within the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), as the local hub for trading of wildlife products. Kongola, Rundu, and Windhoek were also implicated as local locations for transit or sale of wildlife products, while Bwabwata, Mudumu, Nkasa Rupara, and Etosha National Parks were identified as the sources for elephant, lion, and rhino products.

Tuesday, 26 January 2021
Jacobs S 2021. Kenyan national faces indictment in New York on charges of peddling elephant tusks and rhino horns, harming more than 100 endangered animals.

A Kenyan man accused in a multimillion-dollar operation to deal rhinoceros horns and ivory from elephant tusks - harming more than 100 endangered animals - arrived in the city Monday morning after being extradited to face charges of conspiracy to commit wildlife trafcking and other counts.

Sunday, 24 January 2021
2021. Kenya - Two men jailed for 5 years for possession of elephant tusks.

Two men were sentenced to five years imprisonment or a fine of Ksh. 1million each for being in possession of elephant tusks. A joint security team comprising of police and officers from Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) recovered the tusks weighing 28.5 kilograms. The tusks were found to be worth Ksh. 2.85 million.

Saturday, 23 January 2021
2021. Polokwane: Undercover cops arrest trio for possession of elephant tusks.

The police on Friday arrested three suspects for possession of elephant tusks worth over R100 000. The suspects were arrested at a local mall during an undercover operation which was conducted by the police together with the Endangered Species Unit in Limpopo, K9 unit, Crime Intelligence, LEDET and KNP ECI .

Friday, 22 January 2021
Mukpo A 2021. Nigeria and Congo becoming major hubs for ivory and pangolin smuggling.

Increased political buy-in for law enforcement and interdiction efforts at ports in East Africa have pushed wildlife smuggling westward to Nigeria. Between 1998 and 2014, the top two countries associated with ivory seizures were Tanzania and Kenya. Since 2014, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo have overtaken them. Corruption at the ports, the involvement of influential politicians, and rural poverty make Nigeria an aractive waypoint for smugglers.

Tuesday, 19 January 2021
Roodt M 2021. South Africa: Four arrested for illegal possession of ivory tusks in Randgate.

The Randfontein Police working under the West Rand District Police together with the West Rand K9 unit arrested four male suspects for illegal possession of ivory on Friday, 15 January. According to Captain Mavela Masondo, Provincial Police spokesperson, the four suspects, aged between 29 and 37 were arrested in the parking area of the Randgate Library.

Tuesday, 19 January 2021
2021. Court sends 51-year old man to 7 years in jail with hard labour for illegal ivory possession.

The Chinsali subordinate court has sentenced a 51-year-old poacher to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for unlawful possession of 9.5 kilogrammes (kg) of ivory.

Monday, 18 January 2021
2021. Three Bulawayo men arrested for ivory possession.

Police in Bulawayo last week arrested three men after they were found in possession of five pieces of ivory.

Friday, 15 January 2021
Leuschner E 2021. Woman nabbed with ivory.

A 50-year-old woman was arrested in Walvis Bay after being found in possession of two elephant tusks. According to Erongo police spokesperson Erastus Iikuyu, the arrest took place on Monday at around 19:00 during a police raid in Robert Forbes Street. He couldn't say what the ivory was valued at. The woman faces charges of violating the law on controlled wildlife products and trade.

Wednesday, 13 January 2021
Hartman A 2021. Woman in court over elephant tusks.

A 50-year-old woman appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for possessing two elephant tusks. Karina Cloete was arrested at the harbour town on Monday after police got a tip that she had the tusks. She was charged under the provisions of the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act. She was granted bail of N$10 000 and her case was postponed to 10 February this year to allow for further police investigations.

Friday, 8 January 2021
2021. Namibia sees steady downward trend in rhino and elephant poaching.

Namibia saw a continued downward trend in rhino and elephant poaching last year after stepping up patrols and sharply increasing fines, the government said on Thursday. Citing intensified intelligence operations by authorities and collaboration between the government and the private sector, environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said 30 rhinos had been poached last year compared with 50 in 2019 and 79 in 2018. Only 11 elephants were lost to poachers in 2020 compared with 13 a year earlier.

Tuesday, 5 January 2021
Guy J 2021. Elephant ivory still being sold on eBay despite 12-year ban.

Elephant ivory is still being sold on eBay despite the online marketplace introducing a ban more than a decade ago, researchers have found. Sellers are misrepresenting the materials used in certain items and sometimes using "code words" to disguise illicit listings, researchers from the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology at the University of Kent, in England, said in a statement on Monday. In 2008, eBay announced it was introducing a global ban on the sale of ivory starting on January 1, 2009. "Despite eBay's strict policy on…

Friday, 1 January 2021
Prinsloo D, Riley-Smith S, Newton D 2021. Trading years for wildlife - An investigation into wildlife crime from the perspectives of offenders in Namibia.

Commercial and subsistence poaching in protected areas is on the rise. The extent of loss sustained by Namibia on account of the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is not reliably quantified (Anon., 2017). Wildlife populations for some of Namibia’s most iconic species - African Elephant Loxodonta africana, and Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis - are currently under threat due to IWT, and increased poaching in recent years is damaging their otherwise healthy populations.

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