Namibian police spokesperson deputy commissioner Kauna Shikwambi said 12 firearms belonging to the Namibian Police were discovered in South Africa in October 2020.

The admission comes almost two years after the Namibian Police in June 2022 said there were no records of its firearms found in South Africa.

Shikwambi told The Namibian on Tuesday that the 9mm firearms were found in the possession of a Namibian national.

"All these firearms have been positively identified as belonging to the Namibian Police Force," Shikwambi said.

She said during a stock taking inspection at the Namibian Police central depot in October 2021, it was discovered that a substantial quantity of pistols was unaccounted for.

"In November 2021, the inspector general of the Namibian Police Force appointed a team to investigate the theft/loss of those firearms and subsequently four members of the Namibian Police Force, stationed at the armoury section of the Namibian Police central depot were arrested and several firearms and ammunition of different calibres were seized," she said.

Shikwambi said the cases are currently set for trial in the Katutura Regional Court from 20 to 25 November this year.

"The Namibian Police investigation team is working closely with its South African counterparts in this cross-border smuggling case, and further updates in the matter will be provided when needed," Shikwambi said.