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Colonel Jacob explained that the drugs laboratory at FSL Amanzimtot is unable to accommodate whole brick exhibits, which caused difficulties in submitting entire exhibits to the lab at Pretoria.
“I knew these drugs, the lab could not accommodate them, FSL Amanzimtoti. I knew we were having a problem with the FSL at Pretoria because of the Isipingo exhibits that were lying there without being taken”
COLONEL JACOB explains the drugs at Port Shepstone were kept a whole consignment because the lab had no space to accommodate and drugs were not analyzed until space was available nearly two years later.
“If I may use the example of the Isipingo Mandrax . That was also , it is not that much different to our scenario here at Port Shepstone . We are sitting with a whole consignment of drugs . The lab does not have space to accommodate it . So in that case , there was no analysis done . It is only one year , nine months later , after the theft of this Cocaine that now FSL Pretoria says now we have got place and miraculously they take those exhibits from February 2020 .”
Colonel Jacob made calls to FSL Pretoria about exhibits that could not be accommodated for analysis or disposal and was assisted by Colonel Schorle, the Pretoria FSL liaison.
“During the next few months, I kept in touch with the FSL Amanzimtoti and made calls to the FSL Pretoria in respect of these exhibits... It would have been Colonel Schorle from FSL Pretoria. He is our go-to man. He is always assisting and the one trying to accommodate us.”
Exhibits kept at Port Shepstone, Isipingo, and Durban Central were causing a lot of bother and Colonel Jacob was getting undated calls about them.
“When I did engage with him, I enquired about these exhibits kept in Port Shepstone, as well as the exhibits that were initially kept at Isipingo and now stored at Durban Central, because both of them were, more especially the ones at Durban Central, were causing me a lot of botheration. I have been getting calls, in undated with calls about them, hence my calls to FSL Pretoria.”
Engagement with FSL Pretoria regarding exhibits started about a month to three weeks after the date of seizure because it was hoped that exhibits stored at Durban Central would be accommodated first.
“What I can say, it would have been at least maybe a month or three weeks to a month from the date of seizure... because I was already aware of, we were trying for those exhibits that were laying at Durban Central for already a long time... hence it took me a longer while, because in my mind I knew, obviously they would try to accommodate those exhibits laying at Durban Central first, before they could accommodate these that were now seized in June 2021.”
In early 2020, Isipingo SAP stored Mandrax exhibits from February 6 until November 12, after which they were transported to the FSL Pretoria for destruction.
“these exhibits had to be stored at Durban Central SAP from the 6th of February 2020 until the 12th of November 2021 when they were taken to the FSL Pretoria for destruction”
FSL Pretoria disposed of exhibits by destruction on 2021-11-12 which were conveyed to them for that purpose.
“On 2021-11-12, the FSL Pretoria was able to dispose these exhibits, which were conveyed to them for destruction.”
An attempt was made to get 47kg of Mandrax from Durban Central to FSL Pretoria.
“We are talking about 47 kilograms of Mandrax here. Did you make attempts to try and get it to FSL Pretoria ? I did”