How cops became suspects in Hawks' 750kg cocaine investigation | Madlanga Commission

Colonel Francois Steyn, Gauteng Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. (Hawks) provincial coordinator of narcotics cases, told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday that in July 2021, at least 750kg of cocaine worth an estimated R300 million was transported undetected from Durban Harbour in a truck to Johannesburg.

The drug syndicate concealed drugs in trucks transporting legitimate cargo to Scania South Africa in Aeroton.

Testifying before the commission, Steyn said that a Gauteng traffic officer, Inspector Samuel Mashaba, initially tried in vain to search a truck managed by Yellow Jersey Logistics after company personnel told him he lacked a search warrant.

Mashaba, however, received assistance from Warrant Officer Steve Pakula and both followed the truck to Aeroton.

Steyn testified that the officers who arrived first at the scene allegedly loaded bags of cocaine onto an unmarked black bakkie and prepared to drive off.

The officers allegedly approached Yellow Jersey Logistics, which was transporting Scania cargo with the drugs hidden inside.

Steyn told the commission that upon arrival at Scania, the officers allegedly opened the container and later claimed that the bags containing narcotics fell from within it, necessitating that the bags be loaded onto the unmarked Nissan black bakkie.

Steyn testified that while officers were at the scene, a call was made to 10111 alleging that bogus police were hijacking a truck. According to him, officers dispatched from Booysens police station approached the officers on the scene.

“There seemed to have been disagreements regarding where the suspects and exhibits were to be taken," he said.

He told the commission that there were also allegations that the three officers on the scene loaded the drugs there to leave with them.

Steyn said that Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa phoned him and informed him that he and his team needed to attend a narcotics crime scene. 

The scene was at Aeroton, where authorities found a large drug consignment in a shipping container. 

Upon receiving Kadwa’s call Steyn informed his second-in-command to arrange some standby members to attend the scene.  

He described the scene in question as "close to chaotic," noting many police vehicles and about 50 people who contaminated it. 

Steyn testified that Kadwa, who was on the scene, would not have been involved in ground operational issues.

Steyn, who described the scene as “chaotic” and already contaminated with close to 50 people surrounding it, said he tasked the members accordingly to interview the suspects, who included Mashaba and Phakula.

While Steyn was assisting investigating officer Captain Sebola with the general work on the scene he was introduced to General Sephungu as the commander of Warrant Officer Pakula, a member of the national investigating unit based in Pretoria.

Steyn said. “Pakula was one of the persons placed under arrest. In the presence of Kadwa, I asked Sephungu if he was aware of the operation his member was conducting. He indicated that he was currently on leave but had received a message from Pakula that he was following up on drug-related information. He also offered to show us the message. I left the colonel, continued with my duties, and recalled that I relayed to Sebola that we should, in due course, obtain a statement from Sephungu.”

He told the commission that even though Sephungu was on leave he came to the scene, noting that his presence there was unusual given his leave status.

He told the commission that checking every container exported into the country is not humanly possible because, at the Port of Durban for example, more than 4,000 containers arrived daily at that time.

“We don't search all containers, only those for which we've received a tip-off that there might be illicit drugs,” he said.

Steyn's testimony is under way.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za