Allexer Namundjembo
The Namibian Police (Nampol) arrested 211 people on drug-related charges in September.
Nampol spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said on Wednesday that 202 of the suspects are Namibians, while the others include two Angolans, one Burundian, one Tanzanian, and five Zambian nationals.
Shikwambi said cannabis topped the list of seized substances between 1 and 30 September. Police confiscated 1.08 tonnes of cannabis, 1 037 Mandrax tablets, 33 grams of cocaine powder, and 186.5 units of crack cocaine.
She said the arrests and seizures demonstrate intensified police operations against illicit drug networks operating within and across Namibia’s borders.
“Our continued operations reflect a zero-tolerance stance against the illicit drug trade,” Shikwambi said.
Cannabis has remained the most commonly confiscated drug in Namibia, followed by Mandrax, cocaine, and crack.
In June this year, Nampol reported confiscating illegal drugs worth over N$106 million and arresting 3,264 suspects between January 2023 and December 2024.
The figures were released as the country marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
By July, media reports showed that more than N$160.6 million worth of dagga had been confiscated by law enforcement between January 2023 and July 2024.
Police data indicated that 1 641 arrests were made in 2023, while by mid-2024, drugs worth N$56.7 million had been seized, resulting in 1 623 arrests.
One of the largest busts occurred in June, when police uncovered a dagga plantation valued at over N$52 million at Farm Eendrag between Hochfeld and Osire. The operation led to the arrest of 42-year-old Armand Schultz and South African national David van der Linden, aged 27.
In January, police expressed concern over Namibia’s rising drug problem, warning that the country is becoming a hub for both users and dealers.
That same month, a 60-year-old woman was arrested at the Ariamsvlei Border Post in the //Kharas region after being found in possession of suspected methamphetamine valued at N$1.3 million.
In 2023, police recorded drug seizures valued at N$49.3 million. That amount rose to N$56.6 million in 2024. The seized substances included cannabis, Mandrax, cocaine, crack cocaine, MDMA, LSD, methcathinone, ecstasy, and crystal meth.
In August last year, Namibian drug mule Pauline Mbangula (30) was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport in South Africa after more than 60 bullets of cocaine were discovered in her stomach. Mbangula had travelled from Brazil.
