By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Hawks Warrant Officer Karl Sander returned to the witness stand at the commission, outlining his expertise in drug trafficking investigations and seizure operations.
Sander told the commission that suspected drug trafficking operations must be intercepted as soon as information about them becomes available.
He said that crime intelligence officer are empowered to use legal provisions to conduct search-and-seizure operations when necessary, in an effort to prevent illicit substances from being moved or distributed.
His testimony follows earlier evidence from Marumo Magane, who said he transported a suspected cocaine container to Scania’s Aeroton warehouse to allow a manager to witness the search, raising procedural concerns.
Sander also told the commission that informers may observe operations as long as they do not interfere.
His testimony drew emotional attention after he spoke about undergoing a polygraph test during a probe into the alleged theft of more than 500kg of cocaine exhibits from Port Shepstone DPCI offices.
The results were initially declared void, before later being reinstated, marking a key development in the broader inquiry.
Evidence leader Advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube read out an email stating the tests were conducted by Captain Nel and that all polygraph tests go through two quality reviews.
The first is a technical review done during the test after charts are generated.
According to the email, during this review, Sander’s results showed “deception indicated” and that that result was communicated to him during the post-test interview.
“Later during the administrative review process the reviewer went through all documents and found that the polygraph examiner had made serious errors during the polygraph examination process. And non-conformance was opened and investigated against the polygraph examiner. The test was considered invalid so that the examinee was not prejudiced by the errors of the polygraph examiner,” Segeels-Ncube said, reading the email.
The commission was told that the polygraph examiner was subsequently stopped from conducting any further polygraph examinations.
After the email was read, Sander, who was exonerated by it, broke down in tears with a sigh of relief.
He testified that several officers were sent for polygraphs over the theft, but KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona was not tested despite being present when the cocaine was booked into storage after the June 2021 bust.
Senona is expected to testify on Friday to face further questions from the commission on why he did not take the polygraph test.
Meanwhile Border Security Crime Intelligence Captain, Lieutenant-Colonel Justice Duma, said he instructed Counter Narcotics Commander, Gavin Jacobs and Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (DPCI) Warrant Officer Livingstone Mpangase, to assist with the interception of a container suspected to be linked to drug trafficking at the CHC Depot, at the Durban Harbour on 22 June 2021.
Duma testified in camera before the Commission, where said police had been investigating the matter for weeks and had verified the container number.
According to Duma, DPCI members then took control the operation, while he provided the container number before stepping back from the process.
The commission previously heard that more than 500 kilograms of cocaine were seized from the container, which went missing four months later while stored at the Port Shepstone DPCI offices.