Suspected gang boss, Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, was back in the mang on Thursday after he was busted by the Hawks for allegedly running the province’s biggest mandrax syndicate.
Booysen, along with five other suspects, face 98 charges which include drug trafficking and charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
According to a statement released on the SAPS Facebook page, the six accused were arrested by the Hawks after handing themselves in yesterday morning.
“The suspects were arrested after handing themselves over following an intelligence-driven operation by the Western Cape Serious Organised Crime Investigation of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation earlier this morning,” the statement said.
“These suspects will also be facing charges of contravention of Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
“The Hawks believe the suspects to be the primary dealers and distributors of illegal drugs in the province. The investigation is continuing.”
According to the charge sheet, Booysen along with Kenneth Hansen, Kristo Mariens, Clinton Langeveld, Jennen Jansen and Herbert Zoutman, ran the “Jerome Booysen Enterprise” between February 2013 and November 2017. They appeared in the Bellville Magistrates’ Court.
The court documents list three properties in Durbanville and Bellville where it alleges the Mandrax was smokkeled from, as well as more than 90 properties in Kasselsvlei, Bellville and Glenhaven where the buttons were sent to.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, says while the state argued for R40 000 bail for Booysen, the presiding officer granted him R30k bail.
Hansen was released on R20 000 bail while Mariens, Langeveld, Jansen and Zoutman are out on R5000 bail.
“The reason behind the different bail amounts is that the first two accused were managers and participants of the criminal enterprise. The rest of the accused were participants. The case has been postponed to 29 April for further investigation.”
The arrests come just a week after Booysen and controversial businessman Mark Lifman, along with 12 suspected members of the 27s gang, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court for the murder of “steroid king” Brian Wainstein.
Booysen, Lifman and alleged 27s gang boss William “Red” Stevens were initially charged with arranging the 2017 murder of Wainstein in his Constantia home.
The trio were released on R100 000 bail each but a week before they were due back in court, Stevens was assassinated outside his home in Scottsville.
The Hawks later arrested 13 more men linked to the murder, including former Anti-Gang Unit officer Sergeant Wayne Henderson.