Seven arrested in Namibia over one weekend; 60.55 kg cannabis found at Ariamsvlei
Namibian police arrested seven people at places across the country over one October 2025 weekend for possessing cannabis and mandrax, including suspects held at Mariental, Ondangwa and Rehoboth. Border officials separately found 60.55 kg of cannabis and 4 073 mandrax tablets hidden under a bridge at the Ariamsvlei Border Post, drugs valued at about N$3.5 million, with no arrests.
Namibian police arrested seven people for possession of cannabis and mandrax at
different places over one weekend in October 2025.[1]National police
spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said three suspects aged 25, 25
and 30 were arrested in a stop and search at Takarania location in Mariental
with skunk and pure cannabis valued at a combined N$2 900.[1]
At Omashaka in Ondangwa, a 20-year-old was arrested at their house with seven
bankies of cannabis weighing eight grams and worth N$400, and was to appear in
the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on 20 October.[1]At Block E in Rehoboth, a
37-year-old man was arrested on Friday during an undercover operation with four
bankies of cannabis skunk and several mandrax tablets valued at N$2 380.[1]A
33-year-old man was arrested at Ondangwa with 11 parcels of cannabis worth N$32
750 and was to appear in the Ondangwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday.[1]
Separately, border officials found three bags under a bridge at the Ariamsvlei
Border Post at about 01h20 on Sunday containing 59 parcels of cannabis, 55 grams
of loose cannabis and 4 073 mandrax tablets.[1]The Namibian put the whole
Ariamsvlei haul at about N$4 million, with cannabis worth over N$3 million and
mandrax at about N$500 000, while 99FM reported a combined street value of about
N$3.5 million.[1]
99FM reported that officials noticed suspicious shoe tracks leading under the
bridge, that no suspects were found in the area and that the tracks had mixed
with others, making identification difficult.[2]Chief Inspector Elifas
Kuwinga of the Namibian Police Force confirmed the Ariamsvlei discovery and said
the drugs were seized and registered as found property while investigations
continued.[3]
Case data
Every number and detail the sources state, with the sources that state it.
The figures kg_seized and value cover only the Ariamsvlei border discovery (60.55 kg of cannabis valued at N$3 027 500); the cannabis found on the arrested suspects is given only as bankies and parcels, with one stated weight of eight grams at Ondangwa.
The article gives no exact date for the Friday and Saturday arrests at Mariental, Ondangwa and Rehoboth; 19 October 2025 is used because the police report was released on Sunday 19 October and covered the weekend, and Ariamsvlei was searched in the early hours of that Sunday.
The Namibian puts the Ariamsvlei haul at about N$4 million while New Era and 99FM report a combined street value of about N$3.5 million; the report uses the itemised New Era figures for the cannabis value.
One of the seven arrests described in the police report was for crack cocaine, Yes cigarettes and cash rather than cannabis; the seven-arrest figure is the police's own count for the roundup.
No charges, pleas or court outcomes were reported beyond expected court appearances at the Ondangwa Magistrate's Court.
No suspect was found near the Ariamsvlei bags; they were registered as found property, so no arrest, charge or court step follows from that discovery in these reports.
The Namibian's lead photo is captioned only with the headline and is listed elsewhere on the site as a file picture, so it is not included as media.
The police statement itself was not available; the accounts come from three Namibian outlets reporting the police crime report.
Left out, as its quotation was not found in New Era: New Era reported that the cannabis found at Ariamsvlei weighed 60.55 kilograms and that police valued it at N$3 027 500, with the mandrax tablets at N$488 760.
Left out products, as its quotation was not found in New Era.
Left out kg seized, as its quotation was not found in New Era.
Left out value, as its quotation was not found in New Era.
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.
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.
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.