Referred to as: him · Truck driver · truck driver
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On the day of 9th, location data cannot confirm that the truck driver passed Yellow Jersey, raising questions about the track of the truck and its actual location.
“location on the day of the 9th , he cant tell you to say he went past Yellow Jersey ... Location of him ... Roodekop , so which was where Yellow Jersey is situated. Maybe he want to check the physical location of where the truck was”
No one was arrested during General Khan's visit to the scene, including the truck driver and recipient of the drugs.
“no one was arrested during my visit to the scene , and certainly not the truck driver , nor the recipient of the drugs”
The police searched the container and found drugs. The truck driver and the person to receive the cargo were arrested but later released after Hawks members arrested the members who covered the drugs.
“The police searched the container and drugs were found in the container. The driver of the truck and the person who were to receive the whole cargo were placed under arrest. However, the Hawks members arrived at the scene and the member who recovered the drugs were later arrested. The driver and the owner of the cargo were then released.”
After Warrant Officer Phakula placed the truck driver, lady receiver, and manager under arrest, police officers from Booysens SAPS arrived and supported the drug bust operation.
“The driver of the truck , the lady who was about to receive the goods , and the manager who was present , were placed under arrest by Warrant Officer Phakula . I have attached Warrant Officer Phakula's statement as an annexure as well . While the police officers were busy at the crime scene , opening the case and waiting for relevant role-players to come , two police officers from Booysen arrived and enquired about what was happening , and they explained to them about the drug bust . The police officers from Booysens SAPS were satisfied and were willing to assist them .”
Police officers at Aeroton escorted the truck driver and searched the container without his presence; the truck driver was told he was under arrest for transporting drugs but was not aware of the contents inside.
“He was escorted by the police to Aeroton and on arrival the container was received by Jolene , who asked him to put the container at the bay . He did not see who opened the container . When he alerted from the truck , he noticed the black bags being loaded from the container into the Nissan MP300 . At all , a guy who identified himself as a police officer informed him that he was under arrest for transporting drugs . He tried to explain to the police officer that he did not know what was inside the container .”
The arrest of the truck driver by police officers including those from General Khan's team was premature and not justified as investigations were insufficient.
“it was premature”
The truck driver did not know the contents of the container and was not properly interviewed before arresting him, indicating a procedural failure.
“the driver did not know what was inside the container . So even the first members who arrived first , they were supposed to have made like a proper investigation before they can arrest people”
The truck driver did not stop at weighbridges between Durban and Roodekop; it is inferred this was suspicious and possibly instructed by someone to avoid stops.
“because he was indicating that the driver did not pass through the weighbridges , so he drove from Durban to Roodekop without stopping at any weighbridges . And according to him , because of him doing that , he knew what was inside the container .”
When asked, the truck driver said he was in a hurry and tired and did not want to stop at weighbridges.
“he said he was in a hurry to go back home . He was tired . He did not want to stop anywhere”
The truck driver took the container at Durban harbour about 13:30 and arrived at his company in Johannesburg by 20:00, which was considered very quick.
“the driver took the container at the harbour at about 13 : 30 and arrived at his company in Johannesburg at 20 : 00 , which is very quick”
It is suspicious that the truck traveling from Durban at 1 o'clock was nowhere in Johannesburg by 8 o'clock, implying the driver was involved in some scheme and did not stop at weigh bridges as instructed.
“it is really suspicious that at truck can't travel from Durban from 1 o'clock and then 8 o'clock is nowhere in Johannesburg”
The bags loaded at the back of the Scania truck contained drugs, and the truck driver was informed he would be arrested for possession of drugs.
“... they loaded the bags ... drug ... The bags loaded at the back of the Scania truck and that they are going to book the bags ... at SAPS, Alberton. Then the suspected, the truck driver informed them that the bags as well ... suspects should be booked and detained at SAPS, Booysens ...”
Warrant Officer Phakula states the initial plan was for the truck driver to drive the truck to the SAP13 pound near the crime scene, not the Ekurhuleni pound.
“the initial plan was that the truck driver was going to drive the truck to the SAP 13 pound”