Warrant Officer Karl Sander testified that police officers fell ill after exposure to fumes from 570 kilograms of mandrax seized in Durban in 2020. The testimony was given before the Madlanga Commission on June 1, 2026.
Sander, from the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal, told the commission that the tablets were stored at the SAP13 facility in Isipingo. He explained that SAPS exhibit bags have micro-perforations, allowing fumes to escape into confined spaces such as charge offices.
"But that means those fumes are coming off. And the more of a concentrated substance you put in a confined space, that fume increases," Sander said. He added that some officers had booked off sick as a result.
The officer also stressed the value of forensic photographs taken at the scene, noting they serve as a permanent record for events in 2020 that are still under review in 2026. Sander is scheduled to return to the commission on Tuesday.
