Intended recipient

The main objective of the bust was that the consignment must not reach its intended recipient, who is a drug trafficker and competitor of Iby Boss; the bust being recorded was crucial for credibility and reputation reasons.

“The main objective was that the consignment must not reach its intended recipient an bust is significant in that that would be the only indicator to I by that that was successful to do. Say for instance if the consignment was stolen without a recording of a bust there would not have been proof that the intended objective was met and over and above that an occurrence of a bust becomes recorded. It becomes a matter of public information so from a credibility point of view it would affect the reputation of the other party. The objective was not particularly relating to the consignment itself, but there are broader based schemes in terms of having access. So, the bust being lawful or unlawful, the most important thing was the bust occurring and a bust recorded, an objective would have been met.”

Iby Boss is a drug trafficker and his competitor, also a drug trafficker, was the intended recipient of the consignment.

“Iby Boss is a drug trafficker, correct? ... The intended recipient is also a drug trafficker. ... And the intended recipient is a competitor of Iby Boss.”

The intended recipient and Iby Boss both knew about the consignment and that the drugs were on the way, and Mr Nku was tasked by Mr Maphatsoe and Iby Boss to make sure the competitor does not get the shipment.

“Iby Boss would have to know that the consignment is intended for his competitor. ... And the competitor also knows that the drugs is on its way. ... You are then there ... tasked by Mr Maphatsoe and Iby Boss to make sure that this rival does not get the intended shipment, the drugs.”

The bust would have the benefit for Iby Boss of cutting or short-circuiting his competitor, disrupting the competitor's reliability and continuing supply relationships with suppliers.

“And then in that scenario what is the benefit to Iby if the drugs gets confiscated, so if there is a bust, whether lawful or unlawful? He would have cut or short circuited his competitor.”

There were no intentions to conduct the bust operation alone; the intended outcome was always for there to be a bust to establish the competitor's unreliability to their suppliers.

“No, at no point were there any intentions to do it alone. The intended outcome was for there to be a bust, ... so the whole point was for there to be a discovery that the competitor is unreliable to the people they are dealing with.”