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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 - 21 of 21
Thursday, 21 December 2023
Nashama S 2023. Pangolins under serious threat, Environment Ministry observes.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has raised alarm over the serious threat facing pangolins in Namibia. According to Romeo Muyunda, the Ministry's spokesperson, there has been a notable increase in pangolin trafficking cases from September to November this year, leading to a significant concern for the survival of this species. Muyunda disclosed that during this period, authorities have confiscated a total of 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins, and 146 pangolin scales. This has resulted in 23 registered cases and the apprehension of 38 suspects.

Thursday, 21 December 2023
Moser K 2023. Sorge um Schuppentiere.

Das namibische Umweltministerium ist beunruhigt über eine akute Zunahme der Wilderei von Pangolinen in Namibia in den letzten Monaten. "Das Ministerium ist erfreut zu beobachten, dass zwischen dem 1. September und dem 30. November 2023 mehr Verdächtige im Zusammenhang mit Schuppentierhandel verhaftet wurden. Wir sind jedoch besorgt, dass dies auch auf einen Anstieg der Verbrechen an Schuppentieren hinweisen könnte", so Romeo Muyunda, Sprecher des Ministeriums, in einer Mitteilung.

Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Smit E 2023. Pangolin trafficking arrests surge.

There has been an increase in the number of arrests made in crimes related to pangolin trafficking between 1 September and 30 November. According to environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins and 146 scales were confiscated, resulting in 23 registered cases and 38 suspects being arrested. "These numbers surpass that of elephant and rhino arrests combined for this period."

Wednesday, 20 December 2023
2023. MEFT records confiscation of 18 pangolin skins.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has recorded a total of 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins and 146 pangolin scales that were confiscated between September and November this year. This is according to the ministry's spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, who in a press statement on Monday said as a result 23 criminal cases have been registered and 38 suspects arrested.

Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Nakashole P 2023. Environment ministry concerned over pangolin poaching.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism has expressed concern over crimes related to pangolin poaching. This was announced in a media statement by ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, released yesterday. "The ministry is happy to observe that more suspects have been arrested for crimes related to pangolin tracking between 1 September and 30 November. “We are concerned that this may indicate an increase in crimes related to pangolins," he said.

Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Surge in pangolin trafficking worrisome - Ministry.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has noticed a concerning uptick in arrests associated with pangolin trafficking between 1 September and 30 November, prompting a mixture of relief and deep concern among authorities. Romeo Muyunda, the ministerial spokesperson, conveyed in a statement that while the rise in apprehensions signifies progress in combating the illicit trade, it also signifies a troubling escalation in crimes linked to pangolins.

Monday, 18 December 2023
Shefeni S 2023. Rare plant poaching case heading to court.

A suspected plant-tracking kingpin, Diana Mashiku (29) from Tanzania, and her three Namibian co-accused are scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on 21 December. Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says there is a growing trend of criminal syndicates using locals to illegally harvest Namibia's unique plant species. "This case is one of many where international poaching syndicates use Namibian enablers to persuade local community members to nd and harvest the plants for a small fee.

Sunday, 17 December 2023
Smit E 2023. Organised crime low in Namibia - Report.

Namibia's average criminal market score was 4.1, an increase of 0.2 since 2021. The country scored 3.5 on human trafficking and 4.5 in arms trafficking. For flora crimes, Namibia scored 6.5, and for fauna crimes - which would include rhino poaching and the linked trade in horns - it scored 4.5.

Thursday, 27 July 2023
Smit E 2023. Special wildlife crime courts highly effective.

Assets and goods seized and forfeited to the state during the finalisation of wildlife crime cases at special courts last year were valued at more than N$4 million. The seized items included illegal wildlife products, firearms and vehicles used in wildlife crimes. According to the Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement Report in Namibia, the judicial system faces a range of challenges in dealing with high rates of crime and ensuring justice is served; a central hurdle is a growing backlog of cases on the court rolls. "This has…

Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Mosikare L 2023. Zim duo in illegal possession of pangolin.

Francistown: Two men from Zimbabwe appeared in court Tuesday to face a count of capturing a protected game animal and another for entering Botswana unlawfully. According to the charge sheet, Kelvi Maposa, 43, and Matitshidza Sibanda, 33, both unemployed and from Plumtree in Zimbabwe, being persons not licensed, authorised or exempted unlawfully captured a pangolin being a protected game animal without a permit to do so.

Tuesday, 25 July 2023
Mukoya T 2023. Wildlife trafficking king pins sentenced.

Johannesburg - The Wildlife Justice Commission has heralded the conviction of four for the trafficking of pangolin scales and ivory as a "ground-breaking" move that has laid bare the modus operandi of the criminal networks trafficking wildlife commodities. The commission made the announcement following the conclusion of the trial against three Vietnamese and one Guinean national who were arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service in May 2022 for trafficking 7.1 tonnes of pangolin scales and 850 kilograms of ivory. Phan Viet Chi, Phan…

Thursday, 20 July 2023
2023. Court jails 4 foreigners for trafficking animals in Lagos.

The convicts were placed on trial for illegal possession, dealing in, assembling, storing, smuggling, and trading in pangolin scale and elephant ivory.

Tuesday, 18 July 2023
Reiter C 2023. Wilderei nimmt einfach keine Ende.

Männer stehlen Schuppentiere, Schafe, Oryxantilopen und Rinder.

Men steal pangolins, sheep, oryx antelope and cattle.

Tuesday, 18 July 2023
Smit E 2023. Schuppentier-DNA soll illegalen Handel aufdecken.

Momentan werden DNA-Daten von Schuppentieren in Namibia gesammelt, die dabei helfen sollen, geschmuggelte Schuppentiere aufzuspüren und das Ausmaß des internationalen, illegalen Handels festzustellen.

DNA data is currently being collected from pangolins in Namibia to help identify smuggled pangolins and the extent of the international illegal trade.

Tuesday, 18 July 2023
2023. More needs to be done to protect wildlife - National Report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement.

The country's anti-poaching and crime prevention initiatives managed to arrest 75 suspects in 106 cases related to rhino poaching in Namibia in 2022, a report released last week noted. The year 2022 saw the most rhinos poached in the country since 2015 when the first major poaching wave in independent Namibia peaked, the National Report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement in Namibia revealed. The released report is based on data compiled via the Integrated Database of Wildlife Crime in Namibia, as well as related firsthand information and observations by…

Tuesday, 18 July 2023
Smit E 2023. Ietermago - DNS ingespan teen onwettige handel.

DNS-data van ietermago's in Namibië word tans ingesamel, wat sal help om smokkelroetes te identifiseer en die omvang van die internasionale onwettige handel in ietermagospesies vas te stel. Volgens die 2022- verslag oor wildbeskerming en wetstoepassing in Namibië is dit onbekend hoeveel ietermago's suksesvol uit Namibië gesmokkel is. Daarvolgens dui die huidige beskikbare inligting daarop dat die verhouding laag is, maar meer navorsing is nodig.

Monday, 17 July 2023
Reiter C 2023. Wildtierverbrechen häufen sich.

Die Initiativen zur Bekämpfung der Wilderei konnten laut einem kürzlich veröffentlichten Bericht 75 Verdächtige in 106 Fällen von Nashornwilderei im Jahr 2022 festnehmen. Im gleichen Jahr wurden landesweit so viele Nashörner gewildert wie seit 2015 nicht mehr, so der Bericht "National Report on Wildlife Protection and Law Enforcement in Namibia".

Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Hembapu O 2023. Soldier, farm worker nabbed with pangolin, python skin.

An Otjozondjupa police intelligence-led operation caused the successful arrest of a soldier and farm worker, who were separately caught red-handed with controlled wildlife products worth a combined amount of almost N$200 000. At Grootfontein's Build Together location, police shared that a 49-year-old female member of the Namibia Defence Force (NDF) was on Sunday caught with a live pangolin, worth N$50 000. The suspect is a corporal officer in the army, stationed at the Grootfontein Military Base.

Saturday, 8 July 2023
Ngwenya A 2023. Two more pangolins rescued from trafficker.

A suspect has been arrested after being found with two endangered pangolins inside his home in Kuruman in the Northern Cape.

Sunday, 2 July 2023
2023. Hawks arrest foreign national for dealing in pangolin scales in Durban.

Durban - The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) arrested a 35-year-old man for dealing in a protected species without a permit. Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said that on Thursday Hawks members from Port Shepstone Serious Organised Crime Investigation arrested Sifiso Magagula for dealing in African pangolin without a permit.

Saturday, 1 July 2023
2023. Kenya vows to combat illegal trade in iconic species via enhanced partnership.

Kenya will enhance partnerships with neighboring countries and regional blocs in a bid to protect abundant natural resources like wildlife from the clutches of organized crime, an official has said.

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