Gauteng Hawks coordinator of narcotics cases, Francois Steyn, has told the Madlanga Commission that the illicit drug trade is extremely difficult to infiltrate.
Steyn appeared before the commission as it continues to examine the mishandling and theft of seized cocaine in Gauteng.
The commission is investigating allegations of corruption, political interference and criminal infiltration within the South African Police Service and the broader criminal justice system.
Gauteng Hawks Outline Scale Of Drug Trafficking Problem
Steyn told the commission that drug trafficking remains one of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement in Gauteng.
“The size of the problem that we face is, in my opinion, like any commodity. It’s all about supply and demand. So if you have a situation where supply is less, if I can refer to the Booysen’s case, for example, we took over 700 kilograms off the street and still that did not influence the street price that much.”
Seizure Of 700kg Of Drugs Had Little Impact On Street Prices
Steyn said the fact that such a large seizure had little effect on the market highlights the vast quantities of narcotics entering South Africa.
“So that just goes to show how big the problem is and on what amounts these drugs comes into our country.”
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His testimony forms part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to uncover weaknesses in the handling of drug evidence and to determine whether criminal networks have infiltrated the country’s law enforcement structures.
