[imagesource:netfilx]

We’ve seen enough episodes of Narcos to know that when Colombian cartels begin operating in your neighbourhood, things have gone too far already.

The reported kidnapping of an alleged 28 gang boss last week by a Colombian drug cartel following a ‘failed international drug heist off the shores of Western Cape’ should be a clear indication that the wolves are no longer at the door, they are inside your house and getting comfortable on your couch.

News24 reported that a drug deal involving up to 700 kilograms of cocaine, featuring the Bulgarian mafia, a Colombian cartel and Western Cape gangsters, appears to have gone wrong. The failed deal resulted in the ‘disappearance’ of top 28s gang associates, Peter Jaggers and William Peterson while travelling from Cape Town to Gauteng.

Image: Peter Jaggers

Jaggers is thought to be the commander of the infamous Terrible Josters gang that operates around Kalksteenfontein and Netreg, near Valhalla Park, and as if local gangsters and Colombian cartels aren’t enough Narcos for you, Bulgarian crime syndicates are also reportedly involved in the botched deal.

According to reports, the drug deal was supposed to go down about 80 nautical miles of the Western Cape coast, with the local gangs acting as the middlemen between the Colombians and Bulgarians. Something went awry, and the shipment was ‘lost’. At the same time, there were reports that Jaggers allegedly had links to a vessel from which six supposed fishermen were rescued after it ran out of fuel just off Cape Point.

Following this, Jaggers was apparently called to a meeting in Gauteng to account for the loss of merchandise, and it was during this trip that the men were allegedly kidnapped.

According to Jaggers’ relatives, the family received a voice message, including a photograph of him, from the kidnappers demanding the return of “something which belonged to them”.

“Hey we no play, we no play, your husband is on his way to South America, you guys have 24 hours to return the stuff, or we will come after your families you know.”

“We cartel we do not forgive you, hey don’t forget, time is running, you got 24 hours to give me my stuff back.”

News24 reportedly saw screenshots of the conversations that followed between the cartel and a local representative of the gangs. If these are authentic, it seems the local gangs are in serious trouble.

“I don’t get my things I bomb your house. Anything with you name or related I finish everything. You think we playing games. I don’t.”

The local representative then responded with an appeal.

“Please think of way we can resolve this; we will work for you as long as you want.”

“We trying to recover what was lost.”

The cartel, however, was done talking.

“Don’t send me again, I give you a chance already.”

Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) said the modus operandi had the hallmarks of the Colombian drug cartels where ransoms are demanded during a kidnapping or relatives are taken to secure the return of their illicit missing merchandise.

He added that South American underworld figures already had made inroads into Africa, South Africa and the Western Cape.

“The Western Cape has been a hotbed for the gangs and we must also understand that South Africa is known as the Southern route.”

“We became a hub for the international cartels and they make use of the South African partners, that help them and what happens is that we can assume in this case, we do not know, if it was a deal gone bad.”

Police spokesperson Joseph Swaartbooi said a kidnapping case was registered at the Bishop Lavis police station on Friday, adding “Kindly be advised that the circumstances surrounding this incident are still under investigation. We can confirm that a case of kidnapping was registered at Bishop Lavis SAPS on Friday for further investigation. The docket will be transferred to the SAPS office where the incident occurred.”

There’s still plenty more to come in this story, which already has all the hallmarks of a Netflix series. Except this is not fiction and the implications of international drug cartels operating at this scale should be terrifying to local authorities, who are hopefully working on a plan to respond to what has been described as a threat to our nation’s security.

The fate of the two kidnapped men is still unknown, but we’ve seen this movie before. And to think all of this would have likely gone undetected if only someone had remembered to fill up the boat’s petrol tank.

[source:iol&news24]