Katima Mulilo – Three individuals, Nyambe Calvin Matomola, John Mwelwa, and Nziye Lusinyize, have been brought before the Katima Mulilo Magistrate’s Court for alleged possession of controlled wildlife products. The trio was apprehended with a total of 39 elephant tusks, leading to their court appearance on Tuesday. Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, revealed that Matomola, along with seven Zambian nationals, was caught with 24 tusks after smuggling them into Namibia via the Zambezi Region.

According to Namibian Press Agency (NAMPA), This operation was part of a larger effort to clamp down on a syndicate suspected of trans-national elephant poaching in Botswana, using Namibia as a transit. Muyunda added that Mwelwa and Lusinyize were found with 15 tusks in the Namandumo village, Malengalenga area. While Matomola’s case is postponed to 14 February 2024, and Mwelwa and Lusinyize’s to 13 February 2024, for further investigation, the total tally of confiscated tusks stands at 39, with 13 suspects still at large.