Bleeding Trees: Tracking Illegal Loggers in Namibia

John Grobler’s Namibian holiday led him on an unexpected journey tailing trucks and loggers to expose the interests behind illegal logging, a lucrative and illegal business making millions for Chinese companies and local elites.

In this episode Nick Wallis traces OCCRP’s investigation into who is killing the last of Namibia’s protected rosewood trees. We also hear from OCCRP journalist Khadija Sharife on how the tragic destruction of these prized forests fits into the wider looting of Africa’s natural resources.

Finally, sustainability expert Dr. Clemens von Doderer analyzes the causes of Namibia’s illegal logging and what needs to be done to put an end to deforestation.

Dirty Deeds is a Little Gem production for OCCRP. The host is Nick Wallis. The producer is Lindsay Riley at Rethink Audio, with research from Phoebe Adler-Ryan and Riham Moussa.

Read the investigations:

Felling Namibia’s Ancient Giants‘They Are Finishing the Trees’: Chinese Companies and Namibian Elites Make Millions Illegally Logging the Last Rosewoods

This week’s guests

John Grobler - @JohnGrblrKhadija Sharife - @khadijasharifeDr. Clemens von Doderer

Transcript

Read the transcript on the OCCRP website here

More information on OCCRP

Keep up with the latest in global organized crime and corruption at OCCRP and sign up for our weekly newsletter.Follow on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to get the latest updates.Support investigative journalism in the public interest. Donate to OCCRP.