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Drugs cops 'vanished'

THREE police officers attached to the West Rand organised crime unit wanted to claim drugs confiscated at OR Tambo International Airport but disappeared after hearing that other policemen were on their way to the scene.

THREE police officers attached to the West Rand organised crime unit wanted to claim drugs confiscated at OR Tambo International Airport but disappeared after hearing that other policemen were on their way to the scene.

Narcotics expert Wanda Capp testified in the drug-dealing trial of the three high-profile police officers - the unit's head Senior Superintendent Dumisani Jwara and captains Victor Jwili and LandroMakgosani.

The fourth man arrested with them, Captain Caiphus Shange, died in prison in July.

It was on October 9 2007 that a South African Airways flight from San Paulo, Brazil, landed at the airport.

Capp told the court that the three officers said they were from the West Rand organised crime unit and one of them introduced himself as "London".

"They told me that they were looking for the shipment (of drugs).

"I told them that I was waiting for OR Tambo's organised crime unit so that I could hand over the matter to them," Capp said.

"The organised crime unit from OR Tambo confirmed by radio that they were on their way. The three gentlemen - who were in plain clothes and wore police tags - then disappeared from the scene."

Capp, a dog trainer who searches for narcotics, explosives and other illegal substances, is employed by the SA Revenue Service.

A sniffer dog had led her to the drugs in a consignment of shoes, sewing machines and sewing tables.

"I used a crowbar to split open the tables and found 5,7kg of narcotics," she told the court.

The trial continues tomorrow.

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