Madlanga Commission | SAPS officer says Feroz Khan halted Aeroton drug operation

South African Police Service (SAPS) commander of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre (CIMAC) at the SAPS Zonkizizwe police station, Marumo Magane, has detailed his arrest during a search-and-seizure operation at the Aeroton Scania warehouse in July 2021.

Magane told the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday that SAPS Crime Intelligence Officer, Major-General Feroz Khan, ordered him K9 unit Warrant Officer Steve Phakula and Gauteng Traffic chief Samuel Mashaba, who was working with his informant Tumelo Nku, to immediately halt the drug-bust operation.

He further claimed that Khan instructed him to remain seated for at least two hours inside his black Nissan NP200 bakkie, which loaded with cocaine allegedly seized from one of Scania’s shipping containers.

Magane described Khan’s arrival at the scene as “hell breaking loose”, saying the senior officer became involved in a heated altercation with Mashaba, during which Mashaba was disarmed of his service pistol.

He also testified that K9 unit officers were ordered to stop searching the warehouse.

Magane said he, Mashaba, Nku, and Phakula spent nearly two weeks in custody on charges of drug dealing before being granted bail on 21 July 2021.

He told the commission that he only informed the SAPS Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) about the drug-bust only after he, Mashaba and Sacnia employees had already offloaded the exhibits from the container.

This followed questioning from Commissioner Sandile Khumalo, who asked Magane whether he was aware that LCRC officials should have been present before any handling or potential tampering with exhibits.

The commission previously heard that standard procedure requires LCRC officials to document and photograph crime scenes during SAPS operations.

Magane testified that, at the time, the only law enforcement officials initially present at the scene were himself and Mashsba, along with Nku, who was driving a grey BMW 7 Series without registration plates.

He said Phakula arrived a bit later with two additional K9 unit officers.

Magane also maintained that Nku was not part of the operation, despite being near the crime scene.

Magane denied claims that drugs were loaded into Nku’s BMW, saying the bags were too large and heavy, and that there were too many witnesses present for that to have happened unnoticed.

He further testified that Aeroton Scania warehouse manager, Jolene Wenzel, described the discovery of drugs and an extra seal inside one of the company’s containers as unusual and suspicious.

The commission previously heard that the additional seal was allegedly intended to replace the original container seal after it had been broken open, possibly to facilitate the removal of drugs before the shipment reached the warehouse.

Mogane said Scania personnel broke the original seal and opened the container doors, at which point several black bags allegedly containing cocaine fell out, while more remained inside.

He also testified that he noticed an additional seal inside the container.

According to Magane, Wenzel appeared unaware of both the extra seal and the drugs.

“Firstly I called Jolene, the warehouse manager, and asked and showed her the seal, the seal, like I was explaining, that this is how and I was also including the black bags that is this how you receive your stuff. Then she was also confused as to where are these things coming from. She didn’t have any idea about where the spare seal is coming from inside the container,” said Magane.

Magane told the commission that after the drugs were discovered, he recorded video footage and took photographs of the scene before forwarding them to his station commander, Colonel Risinga.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao