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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In 2020, a bank in Singapore found that one of its customers had paid $130,000 to a South African supplier for 11 cheetahs. Though the animals were transported directly from the source country to the destination country and never transited through Singapore, the money passed through the customer’s bank account here. The bank, which was not named by the authorities, filed a suspicious transaction report (STR) and terminated the customer relationship.
The Special Wildlife Office of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, has intercepted a 40-foot container of illegal wildlife products in Vietnam. Three suspects were also arrested in connection with the crime, barely six weeks after a similar seizure by Vietnam authorities. The Nigeria Customs Service, in a statement made available to newsmen, and signed by Asst. Comptroller Abimbola Isafiade, said the operation was conducted by the combined efforts of the officers of the Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone C, in a joint enforcement operation with the Wildlife Justice Commission, WJC…
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NIG_2024_05_Customs intercepts 40_ft container of illegal wildlife products_Daily Post.pdf | 439.1 KB |
Trotz Bemühungen um Eindämmung des Handels mit bedrohten Tierarten wie Elefanten geht der illegale Handel mit Wildtieren weltweit unvermindert weiter. Dies geht aus dem einem Bericht des Büros der Vereinten Nationen für Drogen- und Verbrechensbekämpfung (UNODC) hervor, der eine Bestandsaufnahme der weltweiten Anti-Wilderei- Maßnahmen enthält.
Despite progress to curtail the trafficking of iconic species such as elephants, illegal wildlife trafficking continues unabated on a global scale. This is according to the 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which takes stock of efforts to counter poaching worldwide. The report highlights that wildlife trafficking has not seen a significant enough decrease over the past two decades, prompting a call for enhanced enforcement of existing laws, including measures to combat corruption.
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NAM_2024_05_Illegal wildlife trade remains immense_UN_Namibian Sun.pdf | 66.33 KB |
The Nigeria Customs Service Special Wildlife Office, over the weekend, announced the arrest of a Shipper and supplier responsible for the illegal exportation of a 40ft container of illegal Wildlife to Vietnam. It was gathered that the illegal wildlife products were intercepted and reported in Vietnam in April 2024 while the arrest of the suspects was made by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) and the enforcement officers of the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone C, Owerri, Imo state.
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NIG_2024_05_Customs arrests shipper_supplier over illegal export of wildlife_Leadership.pdf | 492.35 KB |
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NAM_2024_05_Other cases relating to poaching to be joined in Brockerhoff case_Informante.pdf | 112.8 KB |
Namibia's precious wildlife is under threat from criminals, as illegal wildlife trade has become the world's fourth-largest form of transnational crime. This was said by Ana Beatriz Martins, the European Union's ambassador to Namibia, at a press debriefing for 'Operation Saving Wildlife through Multilateral Cooperation in Africa' (Sama) in Windhoek yesterday. She said dozens of wildlife species have been pushed ever closer to extinction by habitat loss and illegal trade.
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NAM_2024_05_Namibian precious wildlife is under threat from criminals_The Namibian.pdf | 550.94 KB |
A former Namibian Police inspector charged with conspiracy to commit rhino poaching has failed in his challenge against a decision that he is unfit to serve on the force. Wersimus Haipa approached the Windhoek High Court and argued that his dismissal was "illegal" and "unfair". He demanded that he be reinstated and that the safety and security ministry compensate him for the salaries he would have received had he not been fired. Haipa was a member of the Namibian Police for 26 years before he was fired in September 2021 based on criminal charges against him.
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NAM_2024_05_Ex_cop fails to overturn poaching dismissal_Namibian Sun.pdf | 69.99 KB |
Josephina Johannes was granted bail on Monday after appearing in the Tsumeb Magistrates Court. Johannes is accused of being in possession of protected game bird meat without a permit. According to Oshikoto Community Affairs Officer Inspector Ellen Nehale, the accused was granted bail of N$5,000, and the case was postponed to August 17, 2023, pending further investigation.
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NAM_2023_05_Woman granted bail for possession of wild bird carcasses_Informante.pdf | 213.33 KB |
Government is working around the clock to fight wildlife crime and corruption, especially in the Kruger National Park, says Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister, Barbara Creecy.
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SA_2023_05_Work underway to fight wildlife crime_Bizzcommunity.pdf | 345.25 KB |
The non-profit called on Nigerians to protect Nigeria's endangered species while urging the federal government to pass the Endangered Species Conservation and Protection Bill as the world marks Endangered Species Day, an annual event to celebrate and take action to protect threatened and endangered species. Nigeria is home to numerous wild animals such as pangolins, lions, chimpanzees, elephants, gorillas, vultures, manatees, and parrots.
The Zambezi regional police need the public's assistance to arrest the suspects behind the killing of a hippopotamus, valued at N$100 000. Speaking to The Namibian on Tuesday, police regional spokesperson inspector Kisco Sitali said they are investigating a case of hunting of a specially protected animal in the Sikunga conservancy, after a dead hippo was found floating in the Zambezi River near Mubala Lodge around 10H00 on Friday.
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NAM_2023_05_Zambezi police searching for suspected hippo poachers at Kalimbeza_The Namibian.pdf | 157.06 KB |
Seven suspects were arrested last month in connection with wildlife crimes, with four fake rhino horns amongst products seized by the police. This according to the latest wildlife crime statistics report issued by the police and the environment ministry. Three newly registered wildlife crime cases were reported.
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NAM_2023_05_Seven arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 312.91 KB |