From Durban to the cartels: How the R200m cocaine theft cracked open South Africa’s biggest police scandal

A heist that shook the Hawks

In 2021, a staggering 541kg of cocaine worth more than R200 million vanished from the Hawks offices in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal. Four years later, not only is the case unsolved, but fresh allegations suggest it could be one of the most explosive policing scandals in South Africa’s history.

The cocaine, bearing distinctive Jaguar logos, had been seized just months earlier in Isipingo, south of Durban — a port city that global traffickers are known to favour. The Jaguar branding wasn’t just for show; a jailed member of Mexico’s infamous Sinaloa Cartel reportedly used the same logo to mark his drug shipments.

Yet instead of being sent to the police’s secure forensic laboratory in Amanzimtoti, the consignment sat in Hawks offices behind windows that could be pried open. By November 2021, it was gone.

Broken chains of trust

The theft raised immediate suspicions of an inside job. Sources within policing circles have long whispered about officers colluding with traffickers, and this case seemed to check every box: poor security, protocol breaches, and a conspicuous silence from the authorities.

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi recently reignited public interest when he alleged that a drug cartel based in Gauteng — importing from South America — had infiltrated the police, Parliament, the judiciary, and even the Police Ministry. The implications are staggering: if true, this is not just corruption, it’s state capture by organised crime.

The DJ Sumbody connection

The R200m heist’s shadow extends beyond the ports and police stations. Last month, four suspects were arrested in connection with the 2022 murder of popular artist DJ Sumbody. Among them were a former detective and a businessman tied to the illicit drug trade.

Unconfirmed claims published by Sunday World suggested Sumbody’s death may have been linked to the missing cocaine, with the stash allegedly resurfacing in Johannesburg’s club scene at knock-down prices, angering its “original owners.” His family has dismissed the claims as a smear campaign, but the overlap between the timelines has kept the rumour mill churning.

Cartels, corruption, and unanswered questions

The Jaguar-branded consignment is not the only cocaine case clouded by controversy. In July 2021, another R200m haul was seized in Johannesburg, leading to the arrest of senior police officers and government officials — charges that later evaporated.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has since announced a Commission of Inquiry into Mkhwanazi’s claims, with a mandate to probe whether criminal syndicates, including drug cartels, have infiltrated law enforcement. That means the Port Shepstone heist could soon face unprecedented scrutiny.

A city caught in the crossfire

For Durban, a city whose harbour has long been a gateway for goods and illicit cargo alike, the scandal feels both local and global. South Africans on social media have voiced their outrage, with many lamenting that “the foxes are guarding the henhouse” and calling for transparent updates.

In a country where high-profile cases often fade into bureaucratic limbo, the R200m cocaine theft has become a symbol of the dangerous overlap between crime and state. Whether the Commission can untangle the web remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: the story is far from over.

Source:Daily Maverick

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