‘Mission impossible’ trafficking plus Transnet info leak linked to R286m cocaine — Hawks cop

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry heard details about information leaks and even the stress individuals experienced as they allegedly moved a R286-million cocaine consignment from Brazil into South Africa (SA).

Lieutenant Colonel Nkoana Joseph Sebola of the Hawks testified on this matter on Monday, 8 June 2026.

Sebola initially testified before the commission last month about communications between those allegedly involved in coordinating the movement of the cocaine.

He resumed his testimony on Monday.

The focus of the proceedings was on a cocaine consignment weighing 715.86kg and worth about R286-million that was shipped from Brazil to Durban while concealed in Scania truck parts.

From Durban, it was transported to Aeroton, a Johannesburg industrial area, where it was intercepted on 9 July 2021.

Two police officials were among those suspected of involvement in this case.

The Madlanga Commission, investigating allegations that a drug cartel has infiltrated SA’s criminal justice system and politics, previously heard that R55-million worth of the intercepted Aeroton consignment went missing from the forensic science laboratory where it was being stored.

‘Mission impossible’

Sebola on Monday testified about screen-grabbed messages, from confiscated and analysed cellphones, that showed communication between two of those allegedly involved in the Aeroton cocaine scandal.

Messaging platforms used included Threema, which, according to its website, was created in Switzerland and aimed at “ensuring uncompromising privacy protection”.

Some of the messages were from May 2025, two months before the Aeroton interception, suggesting the same group was involved in moving more than one cocaine consignment.

Read more: ‘I’m getting heavy threats’ — cop details messages linked to R286m cocaine consignment

One of the May 2025 messages, screened during Monday’s commission proceedings, said: “Boss can’t they get pier 2? We are going to have to pull another mission impossible.”

This message was allegedly from a local businessman, Tumelo Nku (who was saved on a cellphone under the alias Phillip Plein, the name of an international fashion designer and clothing brand).

An individual, referenced as Alpha, replied to Nku: “Look here the vessel is already set, let do last one pier 1, we do a mission impossible. I won’t put pressure at least we [k]now the system now.”

Sebola testified that Alpha turned out to be an individual who operated forklifts.

The R286-million cocaine interception in Aeroton happened barely two months after that message exchange.

‘Somebody in Transnet’ involved

During Monday’s Madlanga Commission proceedings, other screen-grabbed messages, allegedly between Nku and Alpha, were detailed.

One of these involved a screenshot from a computer showing a shipping container’s movements.

Sebola testified that “somebody in Transnet” had taken the screenshot, and it was ultimately forwarded to Alpha.

This suggests that someone in the freight operator Transnet was working with an alleged cocaine trafficker.

Sebola testified that tracking Nku’s cellphone suggested he may have travelled the same route as the Aeroton cocaine.

According to Sebola, other individuals were flagged in the investigation.

This included an employee of truck-selling company Scania in SA, who had previously been in Brazil. (The Aeroton cocaine was concealed in Scania truck parts.)

Aside from Nku, three others were initially arrested over the Aeroton cocaine interception.

The three are Warrant Officer Marumo Magane of the Zonkizizwe police station in Gauteng; Warrant Officer Steve Phakula, a National Investigation Unit member; and Samuel Mashaba, who was involved in traffic services in Gauteng.

Daily Maverick previously reported that the court case against the four of them was subsequently withdrawn.

The Madlanga Commission has heard that Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions Rodney De Kock (who died last year) had made the decision not to pursue the case.

Visual clues

Sebola, testifying on Monday, said the Aeroton cocaine case docket was now being re-examined.

This meant investigations had not yet concluded.

Sebola said that images dated 7 July 2021 (two days before the Aeroton interception) were saved in the gallery of a device Nku used.

These showed “black wrapped bags which looked similar to the bags recovered at the back of the police bakkie”.

The “police bakkie” that Sebola referenced appeared to be a vehicle that Magane, one of the first officials to arrive at the Aeroton scene on 9 July 2021, had used to get there.

Magane previously told the Madlanga Commission that he had loaded bags of the intercepted cocaine onto the open bakkie he had driven there, so that the consignment could be transported to a police station.

He and those around him had not been wearing gloves, and the cocaine bags were not placed in evidence bags.

Magane had agreed during his commission testimony that the crime scene had been contaminated.

‘A lost case’

Other issues relating to the Aeroton interception were the focus during Monday’s proceedings.

Sebola was of the view that “certain actions at the scene warranted further scrutiny”.

He named police officers, including Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan and Gauteng Hawks head Ebrahim Kadwa. Both hold the rank of Major General.

They had been among the officers present at the Aeroton scene on 9 July 2021 when the cocaine was intercepted.

Sebola testified that if Khan had handled the crime scene in the manner that it should have been, certain issues would not have arisen.

“What was supposed to be a good case has been lost,” Sebola added.

Daily Maverick has reported that Khan was subsequently accused of defeating the ends of justice and bringing the South African Police Service into disrepute because of his presence at the Aeroton interception.

He was cleared.

Other ‘concerning’ issues

Khan and Kadwa were recently arrested in a separate matter involving charges relating to illicit precious metals.

Sebola, testifying before the commission on Monday, said other “things” were happening in the police service.

This impacted the way he viewed issues around the Aeroton cocaine case.

Sebola said that at one stage, he had worked at OR Tambo International Airport, and he and colleagues were made to return dollars to an owner who had declared the money as something else.

Read more: Feroz Khan called us ‘tsotsi police’ at R286m Joburg cocaine bust, cop tells commission

That was not in keeping with how the matter should have been dealt with.

Sebola felt similarly about the way the Aeroton scene was handled.

Takalani Zelda Maphosho, assistant director of investigations at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (Ipid) national office, testified after Sebola on Monday.

While Sebola’s testimony raised questions about Nku’s actions in relation to the Aeroton cocaine, Maphosho described Nku as an informant because this is what he had said he was.

Read more: Feroz Khan’s confiscated devices now accessible to Madlanga Commission investigators

But she conceded that this had not been corroborated, and his alleged handler, a police general, had since died.

Nku had been among those who lodged a complaint with Ipid over the Aeroton incident.

Ipid had previously recommended that disciplinary action should be taken against Khan.

It was this saga that he was cleared of.

The Madlanga Commission on Monday issued a notice to Khan to appear and to testify from 1st July.

Proceedings, meanwhile, are expected to continue on Tuesday. DM