Hawks officer, Colonel Gavin Jacob has made major concessions at the Madlanga Commission on the stolen drugs in KZN in 2021.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela / IOL News
Hawks officer Colonel Gavin Jacob has admitted to making false claims, failing to follow procedures and recording inaccurate information during the handling of 541kg of cocaine worth an estimated R200 million, the Madlanga Commission heard on Thursday.
Jacob, head of the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit in Durban, is testifying about the 2021 seizure of the cocaine, which was later stolen from Hawks offices in Port Shepstone.
Under questioning from Commission Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and evidence leader Adv. Mahlape Sello SC, Jacob conceded that key statements in his affidavit were not true.
One of the commission's main concerns is Jacob's claim that he had "exhausted all avenues" in searching for secure storage facilities near Durban before the drugs were transported more than 100 kilometres to Port Shepstone.
Jacob admitted he never contacted several nearby police stations, including Maydon Wharf police station, to determine whether they had space to store the drugs.
When confronted about the statement, Jacob said describing it as a lie was "harsh", but ultimately acknowledged that it was "not the truth".
The commission also heard that Jacob failed to fully comply with national procedures governing the handling of seized narcotics.
He admitted that the cocaine was moved from the Isipingo depot before all processing and documentation had been completed.
He further acknowledged that the SAPS Local Criminal Record Centre was not called to process the crime scene and that prescribed exhibit bags were not used to secure the drugs.
Jacob also conceded that the information contained in his official investigation diary was inaccurate.
This included claims that customs officials and Operational Response Service members were present when the container seal was broken.
Further questions were raised about his decision to return from leave to participate in the operation without notifying or obtaining approval from his direct commander.
The commission also examined Jacob's justification for moving the drugs to Port Shepstone despite concerns about the security of the facility.
Previous witnesses have testified that the Hawks' offices in Port Shepstone were not adequately secure.
The 541kg cocaine consignment was later stolen from the facility, triggering one of the most serious breaches of evidence security in recent years.
Jacob defended the decision, arguing that keeping the drugs at the depot posed a greater risk than transporting them to a police facility.
However, Sello challenged that explanation, pointing out that a separate operation conducted at the same depot a month later resulted in the seizure of 999kg of drugs.
Despite his admissions, Jacob denied any involvement in the disappearance of the cocaine.
He told the commission he believes members of the Hawks may have worked with criminals to facilitate the theft.
The inquiry is continuing to examine the decisions made during the seizure, transportation and storage of the cocaine as it seeks to establish how a R200 million drug haul vanished while under police control.
IOL Politics