Forty-six Zambian and 36 Namibian nationals have been arrested on Wednesday in Katima Mulilo's Cowboy location for smuggling timber into the country.

Katima Mulilo Police Station Commander Charles Mayumbelo said the consignment of timber was discovered during the police inspection.
 

“Those were items that were smuggled into the country and were supposed to be declared at the Katima Mulilo border, but they failed to do so. They were asked to give anything or any documentation that they have regarding the property that they were supposed to declare by NAMRA, but they failed to do so.”

He also raised concerns about how some traders are failing to comply with the law.

“Some of these things, maybe like the timber that you are seeing there, they could have just paid two hundred and fifty or three hundred dollars, and then they go and do their business, but now they are failing to do so. We have got these secondhand items, which are lying here, which can also be declared by NAMRA; they will give you a document, but to date, our people are still failing.”
 

He appealed to the public to seek information on how to conduct their business legally.

The Chief Forester in the Zambezi Region, Teodor Kaambu, said illegal harvesting of trees is a concern, leading to the scarcity of timber.

“In the area where we have timber, there are very few available trees. That causes a bit of limitation, and we want the forest to recover. But the timber availability in the country is in regions like Kavango East and Kavango West. Some small-scale farmers are also harvesting trees."