Two Woodstock drug-running cops sentenced to 10 years in jail

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Cape Town - Two drug-running police officers from the Woodstock SAPS will spend the next 10 years in jail. Constable Godwin Bradley Barnard and Sergeant Isak Stefanus Hendricks were sentenced in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday. They were convicted on charges of possession of drugs and corruption pertaining to the transportation of drugs on behalf of drug lords in exchange for illegal gratification. Acting on a tip-off, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) had launched a special undercover operations to build a case against the officers in 2010. Barnard and Hendricks were identified and, using registered agents, the Hawks then set a trap for the pair, who walked straight into it.

In the first operation on 22 April, agents met Barnard at the BP Garage in Lower Church Street in Woodstock after 8pm.

Barnard agreed to buy and transport drugs, unaware that an agent was on his tail.

Later that evening in Maitland, the drugs were handed over at the KFC and Barnard was paid R1 000 for the "job".

In the second operation, Hendricks was asked to transport tik from the McDonald’s in Observatory and deliver it to an individual in Maitland, who would pay him R1 000.

Barnard and Hendricks were sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment for the possession of drugs and five years' direct imprisonment for corruption.

The spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Eric Ntabazalila, says they welcome the sentence.

“Since none of the above sentences were ordered to run concurrently, it means that both accused were sentenced to an effective period of 10 years' direct imprisonment (each accused for one count of possession of drugs and another count of corruption).”

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Daily Voice