A confidential police report submitted to Parliament by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has exposed a powerful and deeply entrenched network of Nigerian drug cartels dominating South Africa’s multibillion-rand narcotics trade.

The report, compiled by the SAPS Crime Intelligence and Forensic Services Division and presented to Mchunu in June, paints a grim picture of how Nigerian syndicates have seized control of the country’s drug underworld — from Johannesburg’s inner city to Cape Town’s coastal enclaves.

Nigerian Cartels Running the Game

According to the leaked document, Nigerian networks have become South Africa’s “modern-day Pablo Escobars,” running sophisticated trafficking pipelines that import, reprocess, and distribute cocaine, heroin, mandrax, and synthetic drugs nationwide.

In Gauteng, identified as the country’s most lucrative drug market, five Nigerian nationals — Stanley Egbo, Michael Hebuche, Sunny Nwobodo, Johnson Aneke, and Kingsley Chukwu — are named as the principal kingpins.

The Free State is reportedly under the control of Unch Umeh and Unch Ukuruibe, while in the North West province, three of the five top drug bosses are Nigerians — Yusuf Kalon, Tonny Okochukwu, and David Chukwu.

In Limpopo, alleged Nigerian cartel leaders Augustine Encjike and Simon Nkahikwu are said to be running the province’s trade.

Local Gangs Still Hold the Coast

While Nigerian syndicates dominate the inland network, the report notes that local underworld figures maintain control over the coastal regions — often partnering with their West African counterparts to expand their reach.

In the Western Cape, notorious crime bosses Ralph Stanfield, Donkey Bodysen, and Nassief Modack are cited as the most influential players.

In KwaZulu-Natal, particularly in Phoenix and Umlazi, the main suppliers are named as Gonaseelan Nadesain, Tresor Gopal, and Sifiso Zameka.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Cape, gangs like the Bad Boys and Trevor Boys, led by Mario du Preez, Wesley Billet, and Trevor Finnis, are identified as controlling the regional drug markets — competing with groups run by Craig Solomons and Sipho Sethu Jam.

A Web of Smuggling and Corruption

The report reveals that Nigerian trafficking organisations have for decades played a “central role” in the importation of cocaine and heroin into South Africa. Their operations are described as fluid, decentralised, and corruption-driven, relying on diaspora-linked networks, street-level integration, and the bribery of officials.

Operating from guesthouses, informal retail outlets, and nightclubs in areas such as Hillbrow, Yeoville, and Rosettenville, these cartels are said to recruit couriers through tribal affiliations and even marry locals to secure permanent residency.

Global Drug Pipeline

According to the report, cocaine is primarily sourced from Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, then routed through Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Angola before arriving in South Africa.

Key entry points include OR Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, and the ports of Durban, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, where traffickers use human couriers, or “body packers,” and concealed shipments to smuggle narcotics into the country.

Synthetic Drugs on the Rise

While cannabis and mandrax remain the most widely used substances in South Africa, police intelligence notes an alarming increase in synthetic opioids and designer drugs. Cocaine is fast becoming the drug of choice among middle-class users, signaling a broader social shift in consumption patterns.

‘A National Security Threat’

The document warns that drug trafficking is no longer merely a criminal concern but a national security issue — one that fuels corruption, gang warfare, and social decay.

“The fight against narcotics will require enhanced border control, better inter-agency coordination, and stronger international collaboration,” the report concludes.

Pandora’s Box for Parliament

Mchunu’s confidential dossier was expected to be tabled before an ad hoc parliamentary committee investigating the infiltration of police by organised crime networks, but discussions were postponed due to time constraints.

Lawmakers and analysts believe that once it is formally debated, the report could open a Pandora’s box, exposing not just the scope of South Africa’s drug crisis but also the possible links between powerful syndicates and corrupt elements within law enforcement. /First reported by Sunday World, SA