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Chairperson accuses Colonel Jacob of making a factual incorrect assumption that all storage avenues for seized copper were exhausted and not conducting proper enquiries at police stations like Durban Central, Brighton Beach, Maydon Wharf, and Umbilo.
“Did you ask? ... You simply made an assumption... It is not factually correct that you had exhausted all avenues...You did not make that groundwork.”
On 12 November 2021, the lab took up exhibits including 999 kg of cocaine and 547 kg of Mandrax, initially stored at Isipingo and Durban Central.
“It is only on the 12th of November 2021 that these exhibits, 999 kg of Cocaine ... together with those exhibits that were initially at Isipingo and then moved to Durban Central, it was only at that stage ... that the lab had taken them up”
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.”
Drugs were stored at Durban Central for 1 year and 9 months untouched, with no official record of such storage, and thereafter taken to Pretoria to be disposed of at an undisclosed incinerator.
“They were lying at Durban Central for 1 year and 9 months untouched... there is no official record of those exhibits being stored at Durban Central... They were taken to an incinerator at some undisclosed location.”
General Flynn misled the Commission by not highlighting that exhibits were stored at Durban Central for over a year before being destroyed.
“General Flynn misled this Commission by not highlighting a pertinent point... that Isipingo had turned those exhibits away and that they were lying at Durban Central for 1 year and 9 months...”
Exhibits for a 2020 case are kept one day at Isipingo then transferred to Durban Central.
“It gets kept at Isipingo for one day, you then try to get it to FSL, thereafter it goes to ... was it Durban Central ? Correct”
Durban Central has a vault to securely store exhibits where no one has access without knowledge.
“It is a vault ... it is locked, it is sealed ... it is like a deadly dungeon. No one knows it is even there.”
Officers are required to follow up with FSL until space is available to take exhibits from Durban Central.
“during the time that it is now at Durban Central, are you required to make follow-ups with FSL until they do have space for you to take the exhibits ? That is correct ... and that does take place”
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”
The cocaine was stored at the DPCI facility in Port Shepstone instead of other nearby locations like Maydon Wharf, Brighton Beach, Umbilo, or Durban Central, which was only 24 km away from Isipingo.
“the cocaine was taken to a DPCI storage in Port Shepstone. The cocaine was not stored at the Maydon Wharf, at Brighton Beach, at Umbilo, or at Durban Central, the furthest of which is Durban Central, is only 24 kilometres from Isipingo”