The Hawks are appealing for public assistance in tracing a key person of interest linked to the murders of alleged Cape gang boss Peter Jaggers and his associate, William Raymond Petersen, following a series of high-profile incidents involving stolen cocaine and Colombian cartels.
In early 2024, a major cocaine consignment worth R1 billion was dropped off Cape Town’s coast, intended for collection by Jaggers aboard the fishing vessel The Berta Fishing Experience.
Known as the Southern Route, cartels use passing container ships to drop off drugs in barrels, with GPS coordinates sent to local gangs.
Jaggers, head of the Terrible Josters gang, allegedly stole the shipment instead of transporting it and reported it as “lost,” telling the Colombian cartel that the boat with the cocaine had sunk.
In July 2024, Jaggers’ wife reported that he had been kidnapped after meeting “business associates” at O.R. Tambo Airport. Petersen and his associate were last seen on 4 July 2024 at the Emperor’s Hotel in Gauteng. CCTV footage shows a man picking them up in a grey Mercedes-Benz shortly after they arrived at the airport.
The cartels reportedly demanded either the return of the drugs or a R50 million ransom.
In October 2024, their bodies were discovered in a Free State dam, wrapped in chains and weighed down with sandbags.
Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela of the Hawks said: “A case of kidnapping was registered at Bishop Lavis in Cape Town in July 2024. The pair disappeared after arriving at the airport, and were later found murdered in the Free State. The case has since been transferred to the Hawks in Gauteng.”
At the time, JP Smith, Mayco member for Safety and Security, highlighted the ongoing threat of drug trafficking at South African ports, noting that the Berta Fishing Experience had earlier made headlines after six fishermen disappeared at sea.
“Many years back we purchased our first boat and started our Law Enforcement Marine unit specifically to focus on illicit poaching operations around our coast,” Smith said. “But as the crime trend increased, so did the sophistication of the criminals. Now, with Colombian cartels solidifying their drug supply routes into our Mother City, we too have had to step up.”
To strengthen enforcement, authorities have taken delivery of a high-tech, high-powered patrol vessel, similar to those used by the Special Task Force but with enhanced technology and power. Equipped with dual 350-horsepower motors, long-range zoom cameras, and thermal imaging, the vessel is designed to track poachers, drug smugglers, and any criminal activity at sea.
The Hawks are urging anyone with information about the man seen on CCTV to contact Lt Col Jacobs on 082 319 9522, Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or to submit a tip anonymously via the MySAPS app.
