SPANISH NATIONAL FORFEITS HALF A MILLION RANDS 

13 FEBRUARY 2026 

SPANISH NATIONAL FORFEITS HALF A MILLION RANDS 

Cape Town, South Africa; The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape has obtained a forfeiture order of R500 000 after the Vredendal Regional Court convicted David Navarro Roman for illegal possession of Armadillo Girdled Lizards and a Speckled Pardloper Tortoise. Navarro’s conviction follows his arrest for possession of fauna without documentation, importing and transportation of wild animals without a permit and money laundering. 

The 41-year-old Spanish national, confessed that he arrived in South Africa in November 2025 and arranged to stay in Klawer. He claimed that his purpose for the visit to the west coast town was tourism and he had an interest in Armadillo Lizards and wanted to see if he could find them. He claimed that he met a person whose details he had forgotten who sold him 22 Armadillo Girdled LIZARDS, and a Speckled Pardloper Tortoise. He took the animals to his hotel room. 

Senior State Adv Aradhana Heeramun informed the court that local police received a tip-off about someone enquiring about Armadillo Girdled Lizards. Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit (STESU) and Cape Nature officials visited the local hotel where they conducted a search and found 22 Armadillo Girdled Lizards and a Speckled Pardloper Tortoise in his room. He did not have a permit or any documentation authorising his possession of the animals. The accused was alone and the police arrested and charged him with the preferred cases. He pleaded guilty yesterday admitting that he was not allowed to be in possession, transport or buy the fauna but went ahead. He knew that he had to have a permit or documentation to have the fauna. He also admitted that it was unlawful to engage in a transaction of sale in respect of the lizards and the tortoise since he did not have proper authorisation to have, transport and transact in respect of the fauna. 

Adv Heeramun argued that illegal trade of fauna and flora are on of the five largest illegal activities in the world along with illegal drug trade, illegal weapons smuggling and trafficking in persons. It is essential to recognise that environmental crime, unlike many other forms of crime, is a time-critical issue. As our natural resources are finite, a lack of action may have permanent consequences. Environmental crime is one of the most damaging, high-profile, and economically significant fields of global criminal activity. 

The court sentenced the accused to five years direct imprisonment for possession of fauna without documentation wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted for the contravention of offences in terms of Section 42(1)(e) of Nature Conservation Ordinance 19 of 1974 or any other Provincial or National Environmental Legislation of the Republic of South Africa as amended from time to time, committed during the period of suspension. 

He was sentenced to two years direct imprisonment for importing and transportation of wild animal without permit wholly suspended for five years on conditions that he is not convicted for the contravention of offences in .terms of Section 44(1)(1) of the Nature Conservation Ordinance 19 of 1974 or any other Provincial or National Environmental Legislation of the Republic of South Africa as amended from time to time during the period of suspension. He was further sentenced to two years' direct imprisonment for money laundering wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted in terms of Section 4(a)(1) read with Section 1, 7A and 8 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998. The animals were forfeited to Cape Nature, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm. Navarro admitted that the court can make a confiscation order of R500 000 in terms of Section 18 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (POCA). The money will be divided between the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) and Cape Nature. 

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nicolette Bell, welcomed the collaborative work of the NPA’s Organised Crime Component, the AFU, Law Enforcement of Cape Nature, and STESU of the South African Police Services to finalise the case successfully. She said the increasing levels of wildlife crime continue to have a devastating impact on the fragile ecosystems of our country. South Africa has both a national and an international obligation to address wildlife trafficking. This is due to several international multilateral environmental agreements, which oblige South Africa to conserve its natural resources and ensure that international trade in listed wildlife species does not threaten their survival in the wild. She added that the country’s Constitution places an obligation on South Africans to ensure the protection of the environment, and to take reasonable measures to secure the ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources. 

Issued by: 

Eric Ntabazalila 

National Prosecuting Authority 

Regional Communications Manager – Western Cape 

Tel: (021) 487 7308 

Mobile: 073 062 1222