Durban - Corrupt police officers from units attached to the Hawks including Organised Crime Unit, National Intervention Unit and the Dog Unit allegedly passed on sensitive information of intended drug busts and wiretaps to a Phoenix drug lord, a statement by a former commander at the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau has claimed.
The senior Hawks officer alleges that several policemen, including some that reported to him, were on the books of a prominent Phoenix drug lord.
The officer, a lieutenant-colonel, is himself under investigation for allegedly having links to a rival drug lord.
In a 21-page sworn affidavit, signed at the KZN police headquarters on May 9, the policeman acknowledges that the National Anti-Corruption Task Team had come to Durban to investigate him for alleged ties to a Phoenix gangster who is in Westville Prison facing charges of drug dealing.
All the names of those implicated are known to the Daily News.
His statement, however, fingers several other policemen for colluding with a drug lord in Phoenix and discussing taking out rivals with them.
The officer alleges that transcripts from wiretaps document Hawks officers talking to the drug lord, discussing “banging” a rival dealer. In addition, the officer alleges that informers have told him that drugs seized from dealers are sold back to them.
He alleges that the drug kingpin strategically targeted policemen in his unit to climb the ranks of the drug industry.
“Numerous sources, as well as dealers facing trial, have made allegations of corruption against these members. Some allege that they were framed, had monies unjustly seized, or were harassed if they refused to be supplied drugs by (name withheld).
"This, in my opinion, explains why the majority of the group was not included in operations conducted by these members. Complainants, rightfully, fear making affidavits to this effect due to the influence (name withheld) has on the police and for fear of the brutal retaliation.”
* IOL sent national Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi a detailed media enquiry last week. This week he said he was still waiting for responses to questions posed by IOL from his colleagues in Durban. At the time of publishing, none had been received.