Chamwe Kaira
Commercial crimes resulted in losses of about N$2.79 billion during the 2024/2025 financial year, according to the Namibian Police.
Police recorded 897 commercial crime cases during the period. Authorities arrested 229 suspects in connection with these cases. Of those arrested, 80 were convicted.
The police said money and goods worth N$2.79 billion were stolen in these crimes. Only N$6.84 million was recovered. One vehicle and one house linked to the cases were also seized.
Overall crime levels remained high during the period. Data from the Namibian Police Force shows that 110 945 criminal cases were reported during the 2024/2025 financial year.
These cases led to the arrest of 39 839 suspects.
Authorities also carried forward 164 816 cases from the previous year. This brought the total number of cases on hand to 275 761.
Police cleared 110 418 cases, resulting in a clearance rate of 40%. This is slightly below the ministry’s target of 42%.
Drug-related crimes also remained a concern. Police recorded 1 890 drug-related cases and arrested 1 770 suspects, including 114 foreign nationals.
The substances seized included cannabis, mandrax, cocaine powder, crack cocaine, methcathinone, MDMA, crystal meth and ecstasy. The total value of the confiscated drugs was estimated at N$58.47 million.
Wildlife crime also featured during the year. Police arrested 544 suspects for wildlife-related offences and 81 people were convicted.
Law enforcement officials confiscated 3 058 wildlife products. Authorities discovered 71 rhino carcasses and five elephant carcasses. Police also seized 61 firearms and impounded 37 vehicles linked to wildlife crimes.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security said it plans to strengthen traffic law enforcement as part of its safety strategy.
The aim is to reduce fatal and serious road crashes by 10% each financial year from 2024/2025. The goal is to achieve a 50% reduction by the 2027/2028 financial year.
To support this plan, the ministry will increase national traffic operations from three to five each year. These operations will be carried out by 57 traffic units across Namibia’s 14 regions.
The strategy will focus on stronger enforcement, public awareness, the use of technology and partnerships to improve road safety.
Caption
Data from the Namibian Police Force shows that 110 945 criminal cases were reported during the 2024/2025 financial year, leading to the arrest of 39 839 suspects.
- Photo: Contributed
