Case file · Drug seizures
The R286 million Aeroton cocaine bust - and the R55m that went missing
A R286 million cocaine seizure from Brazil, routed through Durban to Gauteng, handled by an analyst with no drug-investigation experience - and R55 million of it later unaccounted for. One of two cocaine cases the commission ties to the same trafficking pattern.
What happened
In July 2021 roughly 741kg of cocaine, worth an estimated R286 million, was seized at Aeroton south of Johannesburg after arriving from Brazil through Durban harbour. The scene was poorly preserved, and the commission later heard that R55 million of the consignment had gone missing - a second major seizure compromised after it reached police hands.
The Big Five cartelExplore the network →Chain of command
Who’s involved
Warrant Officer Marumo Magane
Analyst, SAPS
Admitted loading cocaine-filled bags onto an open police vehicle without gloves, contaminating the scene. An analyst with no specialised drug-investigation experience.
View full profile →Timeline
How the case unfolded
741kg seized at Aeroton
An estimated R286 million in cocaine, arriving from Brazil through Durban harbour, is intercepted at Aeroton south of Johannesburg.
Evidence compromised
Bags are loaded onto an open police vehicle and handled without gloves, leaving the seizure open to challenge.
R55 million missing
The commission hears that R55 million of the R286 million consignment cannot be accounted for after it reached police custody.
Sources & updates
Where this comes from
- Daily Maverick - Another cocaine theft: R55m missing from R286m consignment (11 May 2026)
- EWN - Commission questions presence of officer at botched drug bust scene (12 May 2026)
- Daily Maverick - SA's cocaine shame: how cops 'bungled' global trafficking cases (24 May 2026)
This case file summarises testimony and evidence presented on the public record before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. It restates allegations as they were made at the hearings and is not a finding of guilt, liability, or wrongdoing by any person named.