Confidential SAPS Report Names Key Drug Kingpins Operating in South Africa
- A report submitted to Parliament by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has reportedly revealed the identities of drug bosses
- The report indicates that Nigerian drug lords are allegedly dominating the illicit drug trafficking trade in South Africa
- The report was reportedly compiled by the SAPS Crime Intelligence and Forensic Services Division and was presented to Mchunu in June 2025
A confidential police report submitted to Parliament by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has reportedly exposed the identities of key drug kingpins operating in South Africa, indicating that Nigerian syndicates are dominating the country’s illicit drug trade.
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Drug lords exposed in report
The report, compiled by the SAPS Crime Intelligence and Forensic Services Division and presented to Mchunu in June, identified several Nigerian nationals as major players in South Africa’s drug underworld, describing them as the country’s modern-day Pablo Escobars.
Among those identified as leading drug kingpins in Gauteng, which is considered the country’s most lucrative region. The report named two Nigerian nationals as the leading drug kingpins in the Free State
In the North West, three of the five profiled drug kingpins are reportedly Nigerians. More Nigerian nationals are reported to be at the forefront of illicit drug operations in Limpopo.
The report noted that the coastal provinces of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal are dominated by local drug lords. In the Western Cape, infamous figures are identified as key players in Cape Town’s underworld.
In KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini, particularly Phoenix and Umlazi, is reported to be the hub of drug activity, with local individuals identified as the province’s main narcotics suppliers.
In the Eastern Cape, leaders of the Bad Boys gang are reported to be the main figures controlling the local drug trade. They are said to be competing for dominance with the Trevor Boys gang, the Dondolos gang, and others.
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Drugs sourced from Colombia, Brazil, and Peru
According to the report, cocaine is primarily sourced from Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, arriving in powder form before being processed locally for distribution. Shipments are said to often transit through countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Angola on their way to South Africa.
The report highlighted OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport as primary entry points for cocaine, with traffickers often using human couriers, or “body packers.” The ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth are also identified as key hubs for maritime smuggling.
3 More stories about the illicit drug trade in SA
- Briefly News previously reported that Police in KwaZulu-Natal found eight bags of illegal substances valued at over R86 million in a warehouse. The drugs were stored in bags, which were found in containers brought in on a ship.
- The Gauteng SAPS dismantled a R2.3 million drug lab in De Deur, Johannesburg, arresting four suspects, including the property owner, for drug possession, dealing, and manufacturing.
- The South African International Airport in Johannesburg was the scene of a major crime that authorities stopped.
Source: Briefly News
