Warrant Officer Woods

Warrant Officer Woods of LCRC was present for the unloading and opening of bags that contained suspected drug bricks, with photographic documentation done during the process.

“Warrant Officer Woods of LCRC arrived at around 14H00 or so. And in the presence of all four now arrested – in the presence of the arrested, now Captain Nortje, Warrant Officer Morris, and Mashaba started offloading the black sports bag wrapped with black masking tape from the black Nissan. The first bag was unwrapped and the content inside was brick-like. ... He took photographs of those ...”

Warrant Officer Woods was present during the bag opening and the bag was photographed after being counted and set aside for potential further DNA testing.

“Was Warrant Officer Woods present for that process? That is correct. ... After counting, he took photographs of those. ... It can not be put in the same seal bag as those, should Warrant Officer want to further his investigation with regard to the DNA testing.”

The number of solid substance blocks measured about 715, with a minor packaging counting discrepancy potentially explained by one block sticking to the side of a bag due to adhesive tape and submitted late to the lab.

“Those kilograms, as long as they are above 500... 715 is the number... one of the bricks got stuck onto the side of the bags... that it was taken and put together with the rest at a later stage... I think in the docket Captain Nortje brought me another statement to say this is an additional statement... affidavit by Mabasa that deals with the additional brick... explained if you look at page 310... they discovered that one of the bricks was stuck and they gave it to the DPCI, Warrant Officer Nortje... And that was taken a month later to the lab, bringing the count to 716.”

One brick of cocaine got stuck inside adhesive wrapping around the sports bags and was initially missed but later retrieved.

“one of these bricks got stuck inside this adhesive wrapping that was around these bags, and that block was missed... One of those blocks got missed, and it was then retrieved by Warrant Officer Woods”