Drug kingpin sentenced to 12 years

THE Hawks have welcomed the 12-year jail sentence handed to Cape Town drug kingpin Richard Mackinna.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Mackinna, 48, was sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment by the Blue Downs Regional Court last week following his arrest in February 2019 by the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (Saneb) team.

“The arrest was followed by the investigation of a search by the Flying Squad and K9 Unit after they checked up on information of drugs stored at the premises in Blackheath. A total of 138 000 mandrax worth more than R4.8 million was recovered. Mackinna was found guilty on July 19, 2022, which culminated in his sentencing to 12 years’ imprisonment for dealing in drugs, and he was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“The provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in the Western Cape, Major-General Mathipa Makgato, welcomed the sentence and thanked the investigation team and K9 Unit for their sterling work,” Hani said.

Meanwhile, after almost two years in custody, Dimitri du Toit was sentenced to 27 years’ direct imprisonment in the Hermanus Regional Court last week.

In November 2020, the then 31-year-old broke into a house in Stanford, where he kidnapped a 57-year-old man and drove to Gansbaai with him in his car.

He attempted to hijack three vehicles in Gansbaai.

During the investigation it was revealed that the accused had broken into another house in Stanford before the 57-year-old man’s house.

“The Western Cape provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile applauds the exceptional investigation carried out by Detective Sergeant Mark Fourie of Stanford Detectives, which led to the successful conviction of Du Toit,” said police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala.