The Madlanga Commission has heard explosive testimony from Hawks serious organised crime head Hendrik Flynn regarding the disappearance of 541kg of cocaine worth R200 million from a Port Shepstone facility, with a security expert now alleging the loss was no accident.
Flynn detailed the chain of custody for the drug consignment from its interception at Durban harbour in June 2021 until it was allegedly stolen. The testimony forms part of the commission’s broader probe into corruption and criminal infiltration within law enforcement structures.
Former Interpol ambassador and security strategist Andy Mashaile, providing analysis of the proceedings, said the evidence revealed a deliberate pattern.
“It was clear from the movements of that contraband there was never an intention to take it to a secure location,” Mashaile said. He noted that polygraph tests were conducted but some people were excluded, adding: “It shows us that something is not in order with regard to the sequence of events.”
Mashaile said predictive analytics, based on previous cases where proper documentation and chain of custody had been respected, pointed to intentional conduct. “When you look at that pattern and you superimpose it on the drugs that got lost, in terms of movement, in terms of storage, in terms of the people responsible or overseeing that process, you realise that yes, there was no intention to keep them safe. There was an intention to make sure that they disappeared.”
He stated he would not be surprised if the drug packets were found “pierced with knives” and contained “something completely different from cocaine” given the violations of chain of custody regulations.
Addressing insider threats, Mashaile said: “There is no such thing as 100% security. As long as there is a human being, there is always a risk.” He added: “We have listened to Flynn saying there was no way in which there was negligence in the loss of those drugs. It was orchestrated that those drugs should disappear.”
He recommended continuous security clearances and lifestyle audits, particularly monitoring social media to ensure officers’ lifestyles match their salaries. “Should there be a deficit or should there be a gap, you would need to begin to investigate,” he said.
Flynn completed his testimony in chief at the commission on the day of the proceedings.