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Namibian Police sound alarm as drug busts surge

The Namibian Police have expressed serious concern over growing drug use in the country. They say Namibia has become a nation of drug addicts and dealers.

This came at the launch of a drug bust report, released yesterday by police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi. In the report, the police say a 60-year-old woman was arrested at the Ariamsvlei Border Post in the //Kharas region on Monday. She was allegedly found in possession of a substance suspected to be methamphetamine.

The suspected drugs have an estimated street value of N$1.3 million, the police say. The woman, who was travelling from South Africa, is expected to appear in the Karasburg Magistrate’s Court today.

“Whether in small or huge quantities. This is a serious concern. Now we even have mothers who are our elders, mentors or educators dealing in drugs. It is very worrisome,” Shikwambi said.

“Namibia, we have become serious addicts or users, and dealers of drugs, and this is a very serious concern which requires collective collaboration if we want to assist ourselves as a nation and especially save our children,” Shikwambi adds.

On Sunday, the police revealed in its weekly crime report that a 55-year-old mother and her 24-year-old daughter were arrested near Groot-Aub, south of Windhoek. The police said they found 187 cannabis plants weighing over 35kg with an estimated value of N$1.7 million.

In the same crime report, the police at Opuwo arrested a 33-year-old man after he was found in possession of cannabis with an estimated total value of N$ 3 510.

On Friday last week, the police at Hoachanas in the Hardap region confiscated drugs with an estimated value of N$5 250.

Last week, the police announced that they arrested 126 suspects in possession of illegal drugs between 1 and 31 December 2024.

“One hundred and twenty-six were arrested. Of these, 118 are of Namibian nationality, four are Angolans, one is South African, two are Zambians, and one is Tanzanian,” the police say.

The drugs confiscated in the course of the arrests were: cannabis (308kg), mandrax (10 031 tablets), crack cocaine (307 units), and powder cocaine (8.8kg).

The Namibian reported last October that 25 Namibians have been arrested in Brazil since 2016 for drug trafficking.

These include women who were allegedly offered up to N$40 000 to carry drugs into the South American country.

The international relations ministry’s executive director, Penda Naanda, said most of the apprehended suspects were women.
Naanda said this increase in drug mules might affect Namibia’s international status.

In August last year, alleged 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 was travelling from Brazil.

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