Amanzimtoti

General Senona decided to take the drug bust evidence to Port Shepstone for storage due to flooding problems at Amanzimtoti forensic lab.

“H e s u g g e s t e d a n d s a i d , G e n e r a l , w e c a n t a k e t h e s e t h i n g s t o P o r t S h e p s t o n e b e c a u s e o n a p r e v i o u s o c c a s i o n , w e d i d s t o r e H a s h i s h u n t i l ... w e d i d n o t h a v e a p r o b l e m .”

FSL labs nationwide number at least four, including Gauteng, Western Cape, KZN Amanzimtoti and Gqeberha, with Amanzimtoti known to be overburdened and referring exhibits to Pretoria or Western Cape labs.

“Nationally, there should at least be four labs. Gauteng, Western Cape, KZN, Amanzimtoti and Gqeberha...when Amanzimtoti was inundated with exhibits and the workload was too much, they would then refer cases to either FS L Pretoria or also the Western Cape.”

The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at Amanzimtoti lacked the capacity to store large illicit drug exhibits and could not send members to non-clan lab crime scenes; they only attend clan labs with preparatory materials and end products.

“FSL Amanzimtoti did not have capacity to store large illicit drug exhibits. FSL also could not send members to a non-clan lab crime scene. FSL operations are governed by the aforementioned National Instructions and the Protocol. FSL members only attend clan labs where preparatory material to produced drugs and end products are found.”

On 8 May 2020, Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit seized 35 kilograms of suspected cocaine from a container offloaded from vessel Polonia from the Port of Santos in Brazil; exhibits submitted to FSL in Amanzimtoti on 21 May 2020.

“On 8 May 2020, members of the DPCI Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit followed up upon information in relation to a container that was already offloaded from the vessel Polonia that originated from the Port of Santos in Brazil. Upon further investigation, 35 kilogramme bricks of suspected Cocaine were recovered from a container. The cocaine had the logos Nautica, BMW, MTA, Z and on the wrappings. The crime scene was properly dealt with in terms of crime scene management principles. The exhibits were photographed and sealed in forensic evidence bags. The mass of the suspected Cocaine was 35 kilogrammes. The exhibits were booked in at Maydon Wharf SAP 13 SAPS under a specific reference number. The exhibits were submitted to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Amanzimtoti on 21 May 020. FSL confirmed that the exhibits are cocaine.”

There were three cases in the list where exhibits were submitted to FSL in Amanzimtoti because the mass was less than bulk seizures ultimately submitted to FSL in Silverton.

“Commissioners, perhaps at this point in time, I should indicate that in this list, there were three cases where the exhibits were submitted to FSL in Amanzimtoti. The reason for that is that you will observe that the mass of these exhibits is much lesser than the bulk seizures that were ultimately submitted to FSL in Silverton.”

There was no written record or request for the entire consignment to be transferred to Amanzimtoti; only samples were submitted for analysis.

“There is no written records so that, Commissioner.”

Samples, not entire consignments, were the focus of discussions and requests between DPCI and FSL, not the entire consignment transfer to Amanzimtoti.

“the request would have only spoken to the samples that was submitted ... there was never a request to Amanzimtoti for the entire consignment to be taken to Amanzimtoti?”

The investigation team made efforts to get the exhibits in totality deposited to Amanzimtoti but all other instances saw successful transfers to FSL main lab in Silverton.

“the investigation team, they also made efforts to get the exhibits in totality deposited to Amanzimtoti. But it does not add up ... in all the other instance it was transferred successfully to FSL main lab in Silverton”