Madlanga commission hears businessman was tracked alongside 715kg cocaine shipment from Durban to Joburg

The 751kg of drugs confiscated in a controversial Johannesburg drug bust was facilitated by businessman Tumelo Nku, who was working with SAPS officials at the behest of cartels, Hawks Lieutenant Colonel Nkoana Sebola has told the Madlanga Commission . “Mr Nku’s cellphone, through the cellphone towers, was tracked through the N3,” Sebola said. “It also shows that Mr Nku was from Durban, either following the truck … he was on the same route as the drugs. Nku was implicated in the cocaine seizure at a Scania warehouse in Aeroton, Johannesburg, in July 2021. He faces allegations of colluding with corrupt police officers in an alleged heist attempt to steal the drugs. Nku provided the initial tip-off about the illicit drug consignment to his handler, Hawks General Samuel Mashaba, the then-head of Gauteng traffic police. The pair allegedly orchestrated a false police drug bust in Aeroton, which was later interrupted by the Hawks. Sebola presented text messages to the commission. The messages were between Mashaba and Nku and were extracted from their digital evidence linking the pair to the July 2021 Aeroton drug bust. An analysis of Nku’s device showed that Mashaba and Nku had access to shipment information about the cargo scheduled to leave Brazil on 30 May 2021 and arrive at Durban harbour on 11 June 2021. Further messages showed Nku in conversation with an individual identified only as “Alpha”, who was pressing officials to send photos and offload the consignment that was later seized in Johannesburg. “Can you get the pics of the container and seal?” Alpha wrote, adding: “The longer you take with it, the more nervous they get.” Nku responded: “The guy at Crains says we have … please be a bit more patient, will get pics as they offload, he will move each aside.” Alpha replied: “It is very important we get those pics ASAP. Other things are running through their heads. I think your customs guys need to take this seriously; everything is an excuse.” In another message, Alpha warned: “I am telling you we are gonna be in big s*** if we don’t get this stuff today. We made a lot of promises and not delivered.” “Just please give me a moment, boss, we will get them,” Nku responded. Alpha pressed further: “Please, I am begging you. I need you to open the container and take things out urgently.” Commissioner Sandile Khumalo asked: “What in these chats leads you to believe this is connected to the drug bust in Aeroton?” Sebola said the chats did not specifically mention Aeroton; however, Nku was chatting about the drugs a week before the controversial drug bust in Johannesburg where Nku was also present. His cellphone location was tracked on the same route as the truck carrying the drugs from Durban to Johannesburg. In his earlier testimony in May, Sebola testified that officers had to physically block a police van driven by Warrant Officer Marumo Magane to prevent him from leaving the scene with the cocaine. Magane and Mashaba allegedly falsely identified themselves as members of a non-existent “Crime Intelligence Hawks” unit in an attempt to take control of the scene. By the time Sebola arrived, there was a heavy police presence at the crime scene and the cocaine was loaded into a private Nissan bakkie. Sebola arrested Magane, Mashaba, Warrant Officer Boy Steve Phakula and Nku on charges of defeating the ends of justice. “Analysis of the cellular data records revealed communication and contact information indicating that Tumelo Nku and Samuel Mashaba were acquainted with one another. The records reflect the interaction between the two individuals dating back to 2019,” he said.