‘They have better technology than we do’: Hawks officer warns drug networks are outpacing police
· Citizen
Hawks warrant officer Karl Sander has told the Madlanga commission that drug-smuggling syndicates are using more advanced technology than law enforcement agencies to track and manage their shipments.
Visit sportbet.rodeo for more information.
Sander, a former member of the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), gave testimony during ongoing hearings at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, where he expanded on drug-trafficking investigations and port-related operations.
Syndicates allegedly control port access points
Sander told the commission on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, that criminal networks in some cases have direct control over access points at ports, enabling large-scale movement of drugs, human trafficking operations, and counterfeit goods.
“If your syndicate controls the access to the port, they’ve got access to drug flow in and out,” he said.
He explained that such control creates a major operational risk for law enforcement, as police presence can be easily detected and compromised.
“So if I, as a police officer, drive into that port, they know I’m there. If my surveillance operative goes in there and they know who these people are, they know they’re there.
“If I task some untoward persons, a surveillance team that is not disguised as persons that have normal access to the harbour, they’ll know they’re there.
“When I operate in the port, I cannot operate with autonomy without anyone around me. There’s always someone there.”
Technology advantage
Sander further told the commission that drug syndicates rely on advanced tracking systems and surveillance countermeasures to evade detection, forcing police to continually adapt their investigative methods.
He said investigators often intercept shipments fitted with tracking devices used by criminals themselves.
“We have intercepted drug shipments where we found their own transponder devices inside those bags.
“They themselves are tracking their shipment. If it goes off the necessary path, ‘Hey, someone’s stealing my stuff’.
“So who do they call the police? They have better technology than we do. We have to rethink them all the time.”
Polygraph test results
Sander appeared emotional as he concluded his testimony after it emerged that a previously failed polygraph test result was declared invalid.
He had been under suspicion in connection with the theft of 541kg of cocaine from a Hawks storage facility in Port Shepstone in November 2021.
Evidence leader Advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube placed a statement on record.
“The results on the summary were obtained after the tests were done; this is in relation to the first report.
“Later during the administrative review process, the reviewer went through all documents and found that the polygraph examiner had made serious errors during the polygraph examination process,” Segeels-Ncube told the commission.
She added, “A non-conformance was opened and investigated against the polygraph examiner.
“The test was considered invalid so that the examinee was not prejudiced by the errors of the polygraph examiner.”
The commission’s chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, remarked that Sander had effectively been exonerated following the clarification regarding the polygraph evidence.
Sander also previously described what he called a strained and difficult relationship with KZN Hawks head Lesetja Senona, explaining that the situation ultimately resulted in his transfer to another unit.