Flying Squad

Mr Nku expected Chief Mashabaan and colleague to take the black bags containing drugs to the Alberton police station, but instead a marked police van and additional police including the Flying Squad arrived, indicating tension and deviation from the initial agreed plan.

“I was then satisfied that the job was being well executed. At this point, I expected Chief Mashabaan and his colleague to take the black bags to the Alberton police station. However, soon thereafter, a marked police van arrived on the scene. I witnessed Chief Mashabaan and Warrant Officer Mogana engaged with the two police when he had just arrived. My initial assumption was that the marked police van was there to escort Chief Mashabaan and the consignment to Alberton police station, as initially agreed. However, more police men arrived, including the Flying Squad.”

Warrant Officer Mogana, Chief Mashaba, Booysens officers, and members of the Flying Squad and Dog Unit were present at the scene involving the loading of bags into an NP300 vehicle and engaged in cordoning the area.

“Warrant Officer Mogana fetched his car and parked alongside the truck. Then I saw the bags being loaded onto the NP300 vehicle... Warrant Officer Mogana along with one of the Booysens officers cordoned from one end of the trailer which was carrying a container then to the other where the truck was parked.”

Multiple police units, including Flying Squad, Dog Unit, and DIA Tactical Response, arrived at the scene causing increased tensions.

“Then another Flying Squad car drove in followed by a marked Dog Unit Polo... From then a plethora of cars started driving in... upon the arrival of multiple police units, tension started increasing at the scene.”

Chief Mashaba denies being aggressive towards Captain Opthof of the Flying Squad, noting Opthof was in official uniform and the police got control of the scene when they arrived.

“With Opthof, I was not aggressive. Opthof was in uniform officially in a police car. ... More police then arrived and took over the scene.”

ADV Khumalo says the unlawful operation was interrupted by Booysen's SAPS and other units including Flying Squad and Officer Rikhoitso, yet Witness I did not inform their superiors or speak to all officers on scene but only later spoke with Colonel J. C.

“When you arrived at the scene, you found DPCI who have jurisdictional control ... why did you not speak to them ... others including Booysens police, Flying Squad, Officer Rikhoitso ... you spoke with Colonel J C afterwards ... why did you not talk to all the other officers on scene?”

Captain Optoff was from the Flying Squad and was manning a roadblock before the incident.

“He is from Flying Squad. He is the one of those who were manning a roadblock before this incident”

During the COVID period, there were challenges in staffing for safeguarding narcotics exhibits since most entities operated on skeleton staffs, making it difficult to get extra people from teams such as the TRT, Highway Patrol, and Flying Squad to assist, but availability has improved since then.

“it was during COVID times, and there was a number of challenges because most entities operated on skeleton staff... to get extra people like the likes of the TRT, the Highway Patrol, the Flying Squad, to assist on actually safeguarding these exhibits was a challenge at that time, but that has also bettered from then to now in terms of availability”