Police caught poaching springbok

By: CLEMANS MIYANICWE

SIX police officers at Khorixas were caught with the carcasses of poached springbok yesterday.

A joint operation by Ministry of Environment and Tourism officials and game guards in the Doro !Nawas Conservancy led to the arrest.
After 23 gunshots were heard the game guards informed the ministry officials, who went to investigate. Seven springbok carcasses were found in the back of a police bakkie, said Amingo /Honneb, the chairperson of Doro !Nawas Conservancy.
/Honneb said the officers did not have a hunting permit or permission from the conservancy to hunt there.  The Namibian was informed that the police at Khorixas were reluctant to register the case when members of the conservancy went to lay a charge of poaching.
The conservancy members, together with a Ministry of Environment official, spent hours at the police station yesterday. By the time of going to print, it could not be confirmed that the police had registered the case.
Khorixas station commander Hiskia Nuuyoma said he was not aware of any illegal hunting case involving his officers.
A member of the Sorris-Sorris Conservancy that borders Doro !Nawas said a Ministry of Environment and Tourism official and two police officers approached the conservancy to issue a hunting licence in an alleged attempt to cover up the poaching.

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