CASH and drugs worth an estimated R15 million, recovered from criminals, has disappeared from a police safe at OR Tambo International Airport in a suspected inside- job robbery.
The incident, in which R8 million in local and foreign currency was stolen, took place on Tuesday night. Police have refused to comment about the robbery.
But the circumstances surrounding it have left police sources and crime experts baffled.
The officer guarding the safe at the time, Inspector Jeffrey Ndou, was allegedly hijacked on his way home and robbed of the keys to the safe. It is not clear why he was taking the keys to the safe home.
Later that evening, Exhibit 13, the main safe, was cleared of the money and drugs. It was in the room inside the police station in which stolen and recovered goods are kept before being sent for forensic tests.
Rifles, liquor and cellphones which were in the safe were not stolen, according to sources.
According to Ndou’s statement to Westonaria police, where he opened a hijacking case, a group of people in four cars hijacked him near his Ennerdale home, south of Johannesburg.
A marked police van was allegedly among the hijackers’ cars, and its occupants were apparently dressed in police tracksuits.
They allegedly robbed him of the safe keys before dumping him at Glenhovie on Gauteng’s West Rand.
An officer at Westonaria police station said Ndou looked miserable when he arrived.
“He was crying, appeared shattered, and it took a long time for police to finally record his statement,” the officer said.
When they were done with the hijacking report, West Rand police alerted their counterparts at OR Tambo about the incident, but by then the alleged hijackers had walked into the police station there, opened the safe and left with the money and drugs.
Police top brass at OR Tambo were called to the crime scene along with fingerprint experts and a case of theft was opened, but no one has been charged or arrested.
Sources were surprised by the series of events leading to the theft and the way the investigation was being handled. Some suspected an inside job and a cover-up.
“They are not talking about it to anybody whatsoever. How can they allow a staff member to take the keys home instead of leaving them at the charge office, as the rules say?” asked one source.
An employee at the OR Tambo police station said: “How did those hijackers know their way around the station and which key was for which safe? There is more to this than meets the eye.”
Ndou has not shown up at work since the incident, according to his colleagues, who said he had taken sick leave. No charges have been laid against him and he has not been identified as an official suspect. He could not be reached for comment as his cellphone was off.
Benzi ka Soko of the police union, Popcru, said while they were aware of the case, the details were unclear because people were reluctant to talk as they feared for their lives.
“Details are still sketchy and people are afraid to speak because it is a sensitive case. But in principle Popcru condemns all forms of corruption and criminality allegedly committed by police officers.”
National police spokesperson Dennis Adriao confirmed the robbery and said Gauteng police were investigating the case.
“Yes, there is such a case. Investigations are at a sensitive stage and I really cannot give you much at this stage,” Adriao said.
Johan Burger of the Institute for Security Studies said the robbery was strange. “What surprises me is that the officer who claims to have been hijacked had the keys in his possession on his way home, when they are supposed to be left with officials on duty. That is never allowed; it is strange and I would question that,” Burger said.
He added that whether or not the robbers were police members, it was clear that they had inside information.
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