Referred to as: TRT · Tactical Response Team
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Witness N is protected by members of the NIU and TRT and is always in their company for safety during investigations.
“"She, as part of the investigating team, is protected by members of the NIU and TRT and is always in their company."”
All seized exhibits stored in containers at stations like Malvern and Isipingo end up being stolen within months, forcing the need to request specialized police units for guarding, though these units have their own duties and limited capacity.
“All of those exhibits ended up being stolen within a few months as well...So you are having now to request specialised units like TRT, NIU, POP, to come and guard those exhibits.”
Advocate Baloyi criticizes the poor planning of the operation by Warrant Officer Magane, highlighting failure to call proper law enforcement role players, use of an open bakkie to transport bags of exhibits, and ignorance of cameras at the crime scene.
“It was badly planned. That is why it was such a mess... You did nothing... no LCRC, no TRT to come and escort you... It is about ensuring that these drugs are properly processed... you put these bags in an open bakkie ... You did not know there are cameras at Scania... It is a badly planned thing.”
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”
The tracing team, composed of TRT and DPCI members and commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dina Govender, arrived at the office around quarter past 4 with several vehicles including three Combi vans and a BMW sedan driven by Govender.
“Still on the day, quarter past 4, the members arrived at the office, several vehicles. They arrived at the same time as Major General Senona and Brigadier Nyuswa... other members arrived in three Combis and a BMW sedan which was driven by Lieutenant Colonel Dina Govender. The tracing team is a team composed of TRT members and DPCI members... Members of the team included Lieutenant Colonel Dina Govender, who was their commander.”
Major General Senona and Brigadier Nyuswa interacted with members of the TRT and DPCI as they arrived but did not give any instructions until after the exhibits were placed in the safe.
“Major General Senona and Brigadier Nyuswa were together and interacted with the TRT and DPCI members as they arrived. They did not initially give any instructions to us until after the exhibits were put into the safe.”
Lieutenant Colonel Prinsloo mentions a tracing team composed of TRT and DPCI members with Commander Dina Govender as commander, ordinarily dealing with cash-in-transit cases.
“You said in paragraph 0, you say that the team of people that came included the tracing team, which is composed of TRT members and DPCI members, and then their Commander is Dina Govender.”
Lieutenant Colonel Prinsloo confirms that TRT ordinarily provides support for the transit of seized drugs.
“They do. When we had that large amount of Mandrax, it was the TRT from Port Shepstone that assisted us to take the stuff to Pretoria.”
Lieutenant Colonel Prinsloo confirms some vehicles used were marked and some unmarked SAPS vehicles.
“I think some were marked, some were unmarked. Ja, because TRT used marked vehicles, but there were some of them that were unmarked as well.”
The threat also involved intended bribery related to the murder case.
“when I told her about the threat and that there is intended bribery, she told me that no, about this case, there was a drama in court and I had to send my TRT, the TRT and my tracking team to go and assist in transporting the members.”