WINDHOEK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Namibian authorities have taken decisive action following a series of large seizures of elephant tusks, totaling 57 tusks in three separate incidents.
Romeo Muyunda, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism, said in an interview with Xinhua Thursday that investigations have revealed that these tusks originated from Botswana and were smuggled into the country through Namibia's northeastern region of Zambezi, which borders northern Botswana.
Muyunda said they have established that these activities are conducted by syndicates that involve locals conniving to facilitate movement across the region.
The spokesperson said although most of the tusks were seized at the end of last year, the investigation is still ongoing.
"As a ministry, we are enhancing our intelligence efforts to gather information on the activities of these syndicates, enabling us to intercept them effectively," he said. "We rely on the cooperation of the Namibian police and immigration officials to enforce border laws, including the detection of illicit goods."
Due to a surge in elephant poaching since last year, Namibia and Botswana have launched a joint investigation and increased patrols in northern Botswana. ■
