Nelspruit - Suspicion has been cast over some members of Mpumalanga's organised crime unit after it was confirmed this week that the theft of R3.75 million worth of Mandrax from the unit's storeroom, was an inside job.
Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Rex Machabi confirmed on Wednesday that last week, a duplicate key was used to open the storeroom and steal the drugs.
"This is an indication of an inside job by one of our own members. Therefore I have decided to remove all dockets from the organised crime unit offices in Nelspruit and keep them in my office," he said.
Commissioner Machabi said the dockets would now be assigned to the provincial investigators.
Last week Thursday, when it was discovered that the drugs had gone missing, the Commissioner gave the unit 30 days to recover the drugs and make an arrest, failing which every member would be removed from the unit.
"We hope the culprit will be brought to book before members are removed from the unit," said Commissioner Machabi's spokesperson, Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi.
The Mandrax was originally confiscated on 25 June when police at the Lebombo border post searched a bakkie and discovered a false compartment that contained 75 bags of tablets.
In each bag, there were 1 000 mandrax tablets, a total of 75 000 tablets, with an estimated street value of R3.75 million.
Issufo Pirgy, 35, from Mozambique was arrested. He was not asked to plead to charges of possession of drugs when he appeared in the Komatipoort periodical court on Friday.
Provincial MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Sibongile Manana, expressed concern over the lack of security at the police storeroom.
"The place is supposed to be secured and shouldn't be easily accessible to everyone, especially when such goods are kept there," she said.
She added she was disappointed that the theft had occurred from a "place of safety" occupied by people who are supposed to be vigilant.
