Hawks officer warns drug networks use superior technology to evade law enforcement
via The Citizen2 min read
Hawks warrant officer Karl Sander informed the Madlanga commission that drug-smuggling syndicates utilize more advanced technology than law enforcement agencies to track and manage their shipments. Sander, a former member of the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau SANEB in KwaZulu-Natal KZN, testified during hearings at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, detailing drug-trafficking investigations and port-related operations. He stated that criminal networks sometimes control port access points, facilitating large-scale movement of drugs, human trafficking, and counterfeit goods. This control creates a significant operational risk for law enforcement, as police presence can be easily detected. Sander explained that syndicates employ advanced tracking systems and surveillance countermeasures, forcing police to constantly adapt. He noted that investigators have intercepted shipments containing the criminals' own transponder devices, which they use to track their cargo. During his testimony, it was clarified that a previously failed polygraph test result, which had placed him under suspicion regarding the theft of 541kg of cocaine from a Hawks storage facility in November 2021, was declared invalid due to serious errors made by the polygraph examiner. The commission’s chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, remarked that Sander had been effectively exonerated. Sander also mentioned a strained relationship with KZN Hawks head Lesetja Senona, which led to his
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