New witness sheds light on drug theft at Hawks KZN offices

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is scrutinising the theft of drugs at the Hawks’ offices in Port Shepstone, with commissioners questioning why the facility had no security in place.

On Thursday, retired Hawks officer Jakobus Prinsloo is testifying before the commission to shed light on the 2021 theft of 541 kilograms of cocaine from the law enforcement agency’s premises.

Before retiring last year, Prinsloo served as the unit commander of the Hawks’ Port Shepstone office, where the cocaine was stolen.

Previous testimony suggested it was irregular for the seized drugs to remain at the unit’s offices for five months, instead of being transferred to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for testing.

At the time thieves broke in and stole R200 million worth of cocaine, the Hawks’ office in Port Shepstone had no CCTV cameras, no functioning alarm system and no 24-hour security.

In addition, the premises were broken into eight times between 2011 and 2021, despite being a law enforcement facility.

Madlanga Commission co-commissioner Advocate Sandile Khumalo has questioned the office’s former commander, Jakobus Prinsloo, on why he agreed to store the drugs at the facility despite its vulnerability to break-ins.

Asked Khumalo: “You didn’t say either we increase security or you take your consignment because it’s not safe in my office, you didn’t do that? ”

Replied Prinsloo: “I did not do that, commissioner.”