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In a significant victory against transnational wildlife crime, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has announced the arrest of a suspected high-level Chinese wildlife trafficker in Lagos. Acting on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC), NCS carried out the arrest on 19 February 2025. This operation represents a critical disruption to organised wildlife crime networks operating between Nigeria and Asia. The arrest was linked to a warehouse raid in Ogun, Nigeria that led to a major pangolin scale seizure in August 2024, following intelligence provided by the…

On March 23, 2025, a critical wildlife crime operation unfolded in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, a known hub for organized crime and wildlife trafficking. With assistance from Focused Conservation, the Nigeria Special Wildlife Office (NSWO), supported by the Nigeria Customs Police, executed Operation Willow - an intelligence-driven sting to dismantle a key trafficking network supplying pangolin scales. The NSWO acted on intelligence indicating that a trafficker in the region was actively supplying pangolin scales for the illegal wildlife trade.

The Executive Director of the Pangolin Conservation Foundation, Kelsey Prediger, says that the illegal hunting and trade of pangolins has escalated into a crisis requiring global attention. Prediger made this remark during the celebration of World Pangolin Day, which takes place on February 15. This year's celebration was postponed due to a national mourning period following the passing of Namibia's Founding President, Sam Nujoma. Pangolins are hunted and sold illegally; their scales are used in traditional medicine, and their meat is considered a delicacy in some cultures.

A man has been arrested in Hazyview for being in possession of a Pangolin, following a tip-off from a local community member. On Tuesday September 27, a private game reserve near Hazyview received the tip-off that a white Bantam bakkie was driving around town looking for a buyer for the Pangolin which is the world's most trafficked animal species.

Law enforcement agencies globally must address rhino horn trafficking as transnational organised crime, with an increased focus on the higher-level actors in the supply chain. This was the main message that emerged from a joint webinar hosted by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) SA and the Wildlife Justice Commission to mark World Rhino Day on Thursday. Malaysian customs officials say they have seized a stash of rare animal parts worth $18 million thought to have come from Africa, including elephant tusks, rhino horns and pangolin scales.

Die minister van justisie, me. Yvonne Dausab, het agterdog oor die verdwyning van 'n dossier in 'n saak waarin 'n Chinese burger van wildmisdaad beskuldig word, in die kiem gesmoor. Xuecheng is na bewering in 2014 vasgetrek met 'n jagluiperd- en luiperdvel in sy besit en is aangekla van die onwettige handel in vier olifanttande. Hy is maande later weer in hegtenis geneem nadat 'n ietermagovel, 'n luiperdkop en sewe sebravelle glo in sy besit by die China Town-inkoopkompleks in Windhoek gevind is.

Prosecutor general Martha Imalwa has responded to articles published in the New Era and The Namibian about the trial of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng, and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya, whose cases were struck from the court roll recently. The reason the charges on dealing in controlled wildlife products were dismissed was that neither the witnesses nor the docket was before the court. According to the PG, the information contained in the articles was incorrect.

A businessman whose case involving alleged wildlife crimes was struck off the court roll last week has been summoned to return to the Windhoek Regional Court on the same charges in November.

A federal court in Lagos on Friday sentenced a Vietnamese, Nguyen Huy, to three months in prison for trafficking in 200 kiogrammes of Pangolin scales.

Two Mutoko men have been jailed nine years each for illegal possession of a pangolin.

Regional Court Magistrate Leopoldt Hangalo yesterday struck the case of a Chinese businessman, Hou Xue Cheng and his Namibian co-accused Hamutenja Hamutenya on a count of dealing in controlled wildlife products, from the court roll. The reason was that no docket nor witnesses were before the court. The magistrate said the matter has been coming from 2014, and the State failed to get their affairs in order for it to start. He cancelled the bail of N$100 000 for Cheng and N$5 000 for Hamutenya, and ordered it to be refunded to the depositors.

A Chinese businessman who has been facing charges of dealing in controlled wildlife products over the past eight years left the Windhoek Magistrate's Court as a free man yesterday, after his case was struck from the court roll. The state alleged that the five men illegally dealt in four elephant tusks in Windhoek on 11 June 2014.

The owners of two cars that were used to transport pangolin skins are set to lose their vehicles to the state, following an order given in the Windhoek High Court yesterday. In terms of an order given by judge Shafimana Ueitele, a Nissan NP200 bakkie and Nissan Tiida sedan seized by the police in the Grootfontein district four years ago have now been declared forfeited to the state.

Strides made with hefty sentences and fines for criminals endangering game rangers and animals. When Jimmy Mashopane of Winterveld, north of Pretoria, was arrested for shooting, killing and mutilating nine white rhino in a Free State game reserve, taking 14 horns estimated at more than R500,000, veteran prosecutor Antoinette Ferreira threw the book at him. That one of the rhino was a month away from giving birth "only enhances one's sense of abomination", judge Phillip Loubser said.