Alert members of the police responding to a call stumbled upon a case of suspected poaching and ended up seizing a number of game carcasses and guns.
Namushasha is located in the Mashi Conservancy, which has a high concentration of wild animals, ranging from elephants, buffalo and small game, such as impala.
In the early hours of Friday morning – while on their way to respond to an attempted housebreaking incident in the area – the police came across a suspicious-looking vehicle. According to Police Regional Commander for Zambezi Commissioner Boniface Mukendwa, when the vehicle was signalled to stop for the police to do an inspection, it instead sped off.
The police then gave chase and the suspects were apprehended after a three kilometre run from Kongola along the Trans-Caprivi highway. Three suspects – all of them Namibian citizens – were arrested. Their ages have been given as 32, 37 and 42.
Two firearms were found in their possession with ammunition, a panga and a knife. The carcass of a steenbok and two impalas were found in the vehicle. The firearms have licences that point to a different owner, who is now being sought by the police.
Mukendwa, who drove personally to Kongola to assess police work at the station, commended the team, stating that many crimes in the area have been foiled by the vigilant team.
“Police officers in Zambezi, don’t sleep on duty if you look at the time the suspects were apprehended. They were arrested at around 03h00 in the morning. I want to commend this team for a job well done,” Mukendwa said.
The suspects are being held at the Kongola holding cells and were expected to appear in court on Monday, possibly on a charge of illegal hunting of protected game species.