Cape Town - Eight men who handed themselves over to the Hawks on Wednesday appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court for their alleged links to an international drug smuggling cartel that shipped cocaine between Brazil and South Africa.
David Bannister, 52, Allister Jackson, 33, Marinus van Niekerk, 31, Jacobus Slabbert, 41, Mario Joseph, 44, John Roodman, 47, Andre Welgemoed, 44 and Anthony Tarr are from Somerset West, Strand, Kraaifontien, Gordon’s Bay, Ravensmead and Joostenberg Vlakte. The will be kept in custody at Somerset West until they are transported to Gauteng.
Representing seven of the accused, lawyer Reuben Lidell said, “It’s agreed they would be detained and appear in a Pretoria court on November 8.”
Their arrest follows an investigation into a drug bust in June last year. At the time, police arrested Niel Pieter van Zyl – he was found driving a bakkie carrying R400 million worth of uncut cocaine on the N1 in Pretoria.
The bakkie towed a trailer with a skiboat stuffed with 805kg of pure cocaine concealed inside the boat’s hull.
Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale said a bakkie, trailer, three boats worth R18.6 million, and drugs with an estimated value of R400 million and cash, seized on the N1 highway, were finally forfeited to the state.
The arrests came after a joint investigation into international drug cartels by the Hawks, the Australian Federal Police and the FBI.
“Israeli national Ahmed Isa, also known as Mickey, and two Lithuanian nationals, Donates Jukna and Jonas Zulpa, are at large.”
Last year, the Hawks arrested eight suspected drug smugglers, including Strand brothers Rafiek, 45, and Rashied Baderoen, 49, Michael Norman, 39, Tenikaitis Valdas, 58, Jaco de Kock, 49, Izak Strydom, 46, and Hugh Stam, 48, all allegedly linked to the international cartel.
Their next appearance is on December 6 in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Mogale said the 17 men are linked to a bigger investigation.
“What’s going to happen now, we will be taking these suspects to attend the court case in Pretoria within the jurisdiction in which they had allegedly committed the crime. This is one of the much larger cases we are investigating within the DPCI, which also involves suspects in other countries.”