Cape Town - A murdered leading gangster formed a crucial part of an investigation into one of the province’s most ruthless gangs.
The investigation saw four suspected gangsters go on trial this week.
The killing of Nathaniel Moses, 32, also known as Nigga, in Strand in January resulted in the reassessment of aspects of the mammoth probe.
Moses was a leader of the Mobsters faction of the 28s gang, a faction allegedly responsible for a spate of murders around the province.
This week, in one of two major organised crime trials to start in the Western Cape High Court, Shawn van Rooyen, brothers Simson and John Viljoen and Viviana Joshua were in the dock.
The four, allegedly members of the 28s, face charges including drug dealing and murder.
Moses was linked to Van Rooyen.
Major-General Jeremy Vearey, the police’s deputy provincial commissioner for detective services, said the trial was the culmination of years of investigation.
He said Moses was part of the original investigation.
Under Moses the Mobsters, who ran the drug trade in Belhar, Sarepta and Blue Downs, had been tasked with killing anyone who got in their way.
The State holds that Van Rooyen and his three co-accused were involved in crimes including drug dealing from October 2013 to August 2014 in areas stretching from Kuils River to Belhar.
In addition, Van Rooyen and the Viljoen brothers faced attempted murder, murder charges for trying to shoot dead two residents in Eerste River on November 3, 2013.
Van Rooyen, Simson Viljoen and Joshua were also accused of killing Gustav Davids in Eerste River on February 9, 2014.
In the second organised crime trial that started in the high court this week, Maxwell Davids and Samantha Bailey were accused of killing Hendrik Hugo on January 21, 2014, over drug turf.
The duo was allegedly linked to the Hard Livings gang.
Weekend Argus