depot

The container to be inspected had to be brought down from the stack for inspection, but space limitations existed within the depot due to stacked containers potentially more than 6 meters high, making movement and inspection difficult.

“for the container to be inspected, we have to bring it down from the stack and then open it, inspect it ... the space was not there ... the containers are stacked to maybe even more than 6 metres high, but where we were, there was no space”

Colonel Jacobs initially said the container could have been moved to another spot in the depot for proper search without impediments, but LT-COLSIBIYA later questioned the availability of such space.

“Colonel Jacobs said ... the container could be moved to another spot within the depot ... But you say it could not”

Machinery was moving picking up containers from the other side of the depot and others conducting inspections, limiting available space between containers for search activities.

“Picking up containers from the other side of the depot and also other people conducting inspections”

There were not enough bags at the depot to hold all 27 bricks of exhibits.

“we had bags, but they were not enough. ... we had bags that could accommodate 27 bricks”

Absence of LCRC and their report at the depot meant reliance on verbal accounts rather than photographic evidence for what was found during seizure.

“the absence of the LCRC and therefore the absence of the report that they would have prepared, which would have to told us what was out of the container immediately at the depot, their absence there, in fact, has the consequence that we have your word, and when I say your word, I mean the other police officers as well, only their words about what was found”

Containers that have already been released and cleared by customs are no longer under ORS control and go to depots elsewhere where inspection requires liaising with the depot.

“LT-COLDUMA”

Lt-Col Duma acknowledges he did not interact with the person responsible for the drug seizure inspection on 22 June 2021 and is unclear of the procedure followed by the depot.

“No , no , I do not even know who he is , but I believe if I had interacted with the depot on the 21st , I am sure they would have interacted with him to say the police would be coming on the 22nd to do inspection . So maybe it would be a fault from the depot or the people I spoke to . Yes , but I do not know , his processes that must be followed , I do not know them .”

Lt-Col Duma informed the authorities about the container number to stop it at the depot but avoided mentioning suspected drugs inside to prevent information leaks.

“I did discuss it with them because to have it stopped at the depot, you have to provide the container number, so I did inform them the container number but I did not mention what we are suspecting inside”

Lt-Col Duma verified the container number by personally checking its existence at the depot and the authorities to ensure the number was correct and the container physically present.

“By ensuring that the container does exist, and it is in the depot ... so to me that is a verification that yes, the container number is correct, and it does exist because sometimes you can get a container number, but when you check with the authorities at the harbour or in the depot, then they do not have the container.”

Lt-Col Duma confirms that when he received the container it was already at the depot, implying he did not cause its detention or placement there.

“When I received the container, the container was at the depot.”

Lt-Col Duma states that he would only know about a SARS detention if he is told, since customs operates independently without informing them.

“people who will have the documentation will be most probably the depot who will know that there is a SARS detention but on my side, unless I am told, I will know that there is a SARS detention because the way customs operate, they do not come to us and tell us we have stopped such a container.”

People who are not part of the crime scene management should be excluded to ensure accurate investigation, but this is difficult practically due to lack of means to cordon off the area, especially in busy depots.

“There is no means of cordoning off an area and preventing other people who are not part of the crime scene management to isolate them from that scene ... I am trying to understand that practically.”

To steal drugs inside the depot without being detected, one would need to be a staff member to carry out the theft slowly and surely, which limits access and identifies the suspect.

“You can, but then you need to be part of the depot. ... You would be a staff member and then you would slowly but surely carry the stuff out of that part of the section. But it would limit you for your access to that site. So it would identify a suspect to us.”