165 arrested as Namibia police seize 279 kg cannabis in June operations
Namibian police arrested 165 suspects during nationwide anti-drug operations conducted from 1 to 30 June 2026. Officers seized 279.292 kg of cannabis alongside mandrax tablets, crack cocaine units and other drugs, national police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi said.
Namibian police carried out anti-drug operations across the country during June
2026, recording both seizures of illicit drugs and arrests of suspects.[1]The
operations ran between 1 and 30 June 2026, according to a media statement issued
by national police spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi.[1]Officers arrested a total of 165 suspects over the course of those month-long
operations.[1]Those arrested comprised 162 Namibian nationals, one Chinese
national and two Congolese nationals.[1]Shikwambi said the seizures and
arrests underscore the Namibian police’s commitment to combating the illegal
use, possession and distribution of drugs in the country.[1]
Police recorded the seizure of more than 279 kg of illicit drugs alongside the
165 arrests.[1]Officers confiscated279.292 kg of cannabis during the 1 to 30
June period.[1]The same operations also yielded 3,480.6 mandrax tablets and
440.6 units of crack cocaine.[1]Police additionally confiscated 23 grammes of
methcathinone, described as khat, and 153 sildenafil tablets.[1]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
The incident date used is 30 June 2026, the last day of the 1 to 30 June operation period stated by the police.
Only the separately stated 279.292 kg of cannabis is counted in figures; mandrax tablets, crack cocaine units, methcathinone and sildenafil tablets are noted for context and excluded from cannabis figures.
No breakdown of the seizures or arrests by region, no charges and no court outcome were reported.
Only one opened account of this month-long operation was found; no independent second outlet account was opened.
Erongo police arrested 26-year-old Elrico Kenda on 6 November 2026 after a controlled delivery in Sea Point, Walvis Bay, and seized two parcels of suspected cannabis weighing 2 018 grams, valued at N$100 900. He was denied bail in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court and the case was postponed to 15 April 2027.
Namibian police arrested 227 suspects during nationwide anti-drug operations in October 2026 and seized illegal drugs including cannabis, Mandrax, cocaine powder and crack cocaine. The force said 220 of those held were Namibian nationals, with the rest Angolan, Congolese, Zambian and Zimbabwean.
Six Linyanti Combined School pupils aged 17 to 21 were questioned over a cannabis supply syndicate, with three held on possession charges including a Zambian alleged supplier. Police seized 740 g of marijuana and recovered over N$5,000 believed to be sale proceeds.
Police arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly hid 55 g of cannabis under a lunch box meant for a detainee at Oshakati Police Station. He was charged with drug possession and was due in the Oshakati Magistrate's Court the next day.