Madlanga commission hears details on R200 million cocaine theft from police facility
via The Citizen3 min read
The Madlanga commission heard evidence from Hendrik Flynn, a Hawks Major-General, regarding the 2021 theft of R200 million worth of cocaine from a police storage facility in KwaZulu-Natal. Flynn, head of the Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, highlighted operational failures and questionable decisions leading up to the break-in at the Port Shepstone Hawks facility in November 2021, where 541kg of cocaine was stolen through windows while the alarm system was non-operational. He also referenced a July 2021 drug seizure at Durban harbour, where approximately one tonne of narcotics was confiscated. The cocaine stolen in Port Shepstone was initially discovered in June 2021 at an Isipingo depot and moved to the Hawks facility due to space constraints. Flynn stated that suspended provincial Hawks head Lesetja Senona took control of the storage keys, which was inconsistent with standard procedures, as a designated SAP13 clerk should manage such facilities to maintain the chain of custody. Further irregularities included Senona handing keys to an unauthorized warrant officer and police officers returning to the facility to collect drug samples, a practice Flynn found "extremely strange" and not standard procedure. Flynn also emphasized the interconnectedness of organized crime and corruption, stating that corruption is always an element in the perpetuation of such crimes.
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