Warrant officer Marumo Magane came under intense questioning on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, as he testified about the handling of a major 2021 cocaine bust in Johannesburg.
Magane appeared at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, where proceedings have been examining the circumstances surrounding the seizure of a large cocaine consignment worth R300 million in July 2021.
The drugs, reportedly shipped from Brazil, entered the country through Durban Harbour in KwaZulu-Natal before being transported to Gauteng, concealed within legitimate cargo destined for the manufacturing company, Scania, in Aeroton.
However, controversy arose as portions of the seized narcotics went missing.
Previous witness testimonies have alleged that police officers at the scene attempted to steal part of the consignment.
Aeroton drug bust
Magane, who heads the crime information management and analysis centre at Zonkizizwe Police Station in Katlehong, Ekurhuleni, told the commission he was alerted to the suspected drug shipment early on 9 July 2021.
According to his evidence, Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) Deputy Chief Director Samuel Mashaba contacted him at around 6:25 am regarding a truck believed to be carrying narcotics.
He proceeded to the premises of logistics company Yellow Jersey in Roodekop, where he met Mashaba and an informant, Tumelo Nku.
Magane testified that each arrived in separate vehicles, with him himself driving a black Nissan NP300 bakkie.
Access to the container was initially denied due to the absence of a search warrant, which Magane described as an “oversight”.
The truck was subsequently escorted to Scania’s premises in Aeroton, where it was opened in the presence of staff.
“The container was opened by one of their staff members, and to our surprise, as soon as the doors opened, some black bags started falling from the container,” he said.
Warrant officer denies plan to steal cocaine
However, the commissioners raised concerns about the entire operation.
One key issue was Magane’s failure to call for backup from local police stations, despite operating outside his jurisdiction of Ekurhuleni.
“What if there was a shootout or something even more serious?” commissioner Sandile Khumalo asked.
Magane maintained that he did not anticipate violence.
“If this thing was like a robbery, we would have called for back-up.”
Further criticism focused on how evidence was handled once the drugs were discovered.
Magane admitted that the local criminal record centre (LCRC), which is responsible for processing crime scenes, was only called after the truck was opened.
He was further interrogated about his decision to have some of the black bags containing the drugs removed from the truck and loaded into his vehicle.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi suggested this pointed either to inexperience or misconduct by deliberately contaminating the scene.
The police officer denied the allegation, insisting that his intention was to “preserve the scene to the best of my ability”.
Watch the Madlanga commission of inquiry below:
Magane also rejected the insinuation that he and Mashaba intended to steal the cocaine.
“I wouldn’t be dumb to go steal in front of everybody; meanwhile, I know that my identity was not concealed.
“Another thing is that I was going to be easily traced. The bakkie that I was using is a state-owned car. At Yellow Jesery, there’s also cameras.”
But Baloyi pressed him, saying the operation was “poorly planned”.
Questions over experience and role
Earlier, Mogane was grilled about his role in the drug operation.
The commission’s chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned his involvement, highlighting that his primary responsibilities are administrative rather than operational.
“You are a statistics person. It’s simply not your area of function. It’s quite plain that you were at sea. You were lost as to what needed to be done,” Madlanga said.
“I agree,” Magane replied.
The warrant officer, however, emphasised that his duties are not strictly limited to desk work and can include participation in search-and-seizure operations.
