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.
Explore your search results using the filter checkboxes, or amend your search or start a new search.
Five people were arrested in Midrand, Gauteng for pangolin trafficking and contravening the National Environmental Management-Biodiversity (NEMBA) Act. The Hawks pounced on the suspects after receiving a tip-off.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_04_Police officer and four others arrested for pangolin dealing in Midrand_The South African.pdf | 380.28 KB |
Four traffickers have been arrested for trafficking in ivory tusk, pangolin, and chimpanzee.
Four people have been arrested for trying to sell a pangolin for R250 000. They were arrested at a North West mall while attempting to find a buyer. The pangolin was found in their car and taken to safety.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_04_Four bust at North West mall trying to sell pangolin for R250 000_News24.pdf | 346.36 KB |
Additionally, 770 suspects were arrested for wildlife crimes. Wildlife products confiscated included 108 elephant tusks, 117 pangolins and 59 rhino horns, while 42 unlicensed firearms used in the commission of wildlife crimes were seized.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2022_04_38 000 suspects arrested in 2021_Namibian Sun.pdf | 494.34 KB |
Our investigation into pangolin trade from Uganda to China exposes serious legal loopholes.
Pretoria-based police have yet again nabbed suspects who attempted to secretly sell an endangered species, a pangolin, which continues to be a problematic crime in the region. On Friday, four people were arrested during a street sale of a pangolin when the sellers were promised R50 000 in a police trap.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
SA_2022_04_R50 000 pangolin deal leads to sellers being arrested in Pretoria_Pretoria Rekord.pdf | 566.64 KB |
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested three men from Chipinge for suspected unlawful possession of two live pangolins.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
ZIM_2022_04_Trio nabbed for pangolins_The Sunday Mail.pdf | 473.86 KB |
Wildlife crimes remain a severe threat to the economy and biodiversity as well as to local livelihoods, the recently released Second National Integrated State of the Environment Report for Namibia showed. According to the report, a large number of wildlife crime cases are related to poaching for meat while rhinos currently represent the most valuable and sought after wildlife crime target. "Between 2018 and 2019, there has been an increase in registered wildlife cases related to high-value species growing from 115 to 174 cases.
Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) can and must do more to address the dire impacts of the global illegal pangolin trade A new briefing document outlines the Environmental Investigation Agency's (EIA) findings and recommendations on key issues relating to global illegal pangolin trade. EIA says that following decades of overexploitation due to international trade, in 2016 all eight pangolin species were uplisted from Appendix II to Appendix I to Cites.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_09_Cites must take action on illegal pangolin trade_Namibian Sun.pdf | 394.6 KB |
In a separate case, another Namibian national Ignasius Mbaraka was arrested at Outjo on 17 September, also in connection with an old case for conspiring to hunt a rhino. The case dates back to June when a rhino carcass and a vehicle were confiscated. He has been charged with the illegal hunting of specially protected game and for conspiring to hunt specially protected game. He is also a Namibian. Meanwhile, Namibian Alberto Johannes Joel was arrested on 12 September in Otavi for being in the possession of a pangolin. The case was not reported last week.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_09_Three arrested for wildlife crimes_Namibian Sun.pdf | 197.69 KB |
Three men have been arrested in connection with wildlife crime, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said in a weekly wildlife crime report on Wednesday. According to the report, Alberto Johannes Joel was arrested on 12 September this year at Otavi in the Otjozondjupa region. He was reportedly found in possession of a live pangolin. Another suspect, Ignasius Mbaraka Mutunda, was arrested in connection with a June 2020 case when he was allegedly found in possession of a rhino carcass. He was arrested on Friday at Outjo in the Kunene region.
Attachment | Size |
---|---|
NAM_2021_09_Three arrested for wildlife crime_The Namibian.pdf | 318.77 KB |
The Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Lilongwe has set 27 September, 2021, as the day for delivering judgement against a Chinese national, Yunhua Lin, who is answering charges of money laundering and rhino horn trafficking. Lin came to Malawi as an investor like many do but without proper screening and vetting, the country let in a criminal who is destroying our current and future economy. Lin is a member of one of Southern Africa’s most prolific wildlife trafficking syndicates, which has been operating out of Malawi for at least a decade.