The case against eight alleged drug smugglers has been postponed to November 8 for formal bail application.
The accused, David Michael Banister, 52, Allister William Jackson, 33, Marinus van Niekerk, 31, Jacobus Hendrik Slabbert, 41, Mario Mark Joseph, 44, John Frederieck Roodman, 47, Andre Welgemoed, 44, and 42-year-old Anthony Trevor Tarr appeared at the Bellville magistrate’s court following their arrest on Tuesday.
The group, which is linked to a R400-million drug bust, was taken into custody after they handed themselves over to the police on Tuesday. They were identified as alleged members of an international drug trafficking cartel suspected of smuggling cocaine between Brazil and South Africa.
Hawks’ spokesperson Katlego Mogale said the case forms part of an ongoing investigation into the proliferation of drugs in the country.
It was reported earlier in the year that a bakkie driver was found carrying drugs concealed inside the hull of a boat he was pulling with the bakkie and was concomitantly apprehended.
“Previously, assets including a bakkie, trailer, three boats with a combined value of more than R18.6-million together with the drugs with an estimated value of R400-million and cash seized on the N1 highway were finally forfeited to the state by the Gauteng and Western Cape high courts respectively,” said Mogale.
“The forfeiture orders’ execution was consequently to the arrest of Niel Pieter van Zyl, 40, on 2 June 2021 whilst driving a bakkie pulling a trailer carrying a consignment of drugs, 805 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside the hull of the ski-boat on the N1 highway in Pretoria.”
Meanwhile, the case against eight others identified as part of the controversial cartel is expected to resume in court on December 6.
“Eight more suspects including Rafiek Baderoen, 45, Rashied Baderoen, 49, Michael Norman, 39, Tenikaitis Valdas, 58, Jaco de Kock, 49, Izak Strbydom, 46, and Hugh Stam, 48, were arrested in 2021.
“They were identified as the members of an international drug trafficking syndicate allegedly involved in the smuggling of cocaine between South Africa and Brazil.
“These arrests and seizures, which dismantled an international drug cartel, stem from an extensive collaborative project-driven investigation by the directorate for priority crime investigation, Australian Federal Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation,” said Mogale.
Three more suspects are still on the run, according to Mogale, who said the authorities expect to make more arrests. In the meantime, the 16 suspects will remain in custody pending their next court appearances.
“The Israeli national Ahmed Isa, also known as Mickey, along with two Lithuanian nationals Donates Jukna and Jonas Zulpa are still at large. More arrests and seizures of property used in cocaine smuggling are imminent.”
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