Cape Town - 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. 138 000 mandrax worth over R4.8 million were recovered.
“Mackinna was found guilty on 19 July 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 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 accused was convicted on five charges: robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking with intent to commit a crime unknown to the state and housebreaking with intent to steal,” police spokesperson Ndakhe Gwala said.
“On Thursday, November 17, 2022, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison – 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, 10 years for kidnapping of which five will run concurrently with the 15 years.
“Additionally, he was sentenced to seven years’ direct imprisonment for attempted robbery with aggravating circumstances. For housebreaking with intent to commit a crime unknown to the state and housebreaking with intent to steal he was sentenced to five years, which will run concurrently with the seven years.
“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.”
Cape Times