Cape Town - An intense investigation investigation into the links between the Terrible West Siders gang and alleged underworld kingpin, Nafiz Modack, created the matrix for the formation of the mammoth underworld trial in the Western Cape High Court.
This was revealed by seasoned detective, Lieutenant-Colonel Pieter Joubert, as he took to the stand yesterday to tell Judge Robert Henney how detectives put various pieces of the puzzle together when analysing the links between Modack and his co-accused.
Joubert said more than a year before the murder of Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) detective Charl Kinnear, he was assigned to probe the murder of Nicholaas Heerschap, 74, who was shot and killed on July 9, 2019, while exiting his driveway.
It was established that this was in fact a botched hit on his son, Nico, who was a Hawks detective hot on the tail of Modack and his affiliates for vehicle finance fraud.
Joubert established that a black Mercedes-Benz used as the getaway car had been used by the gang.
He said Nico had also received a threatening text message three years earlier.
His investigation revealed that there was familial and gang links between the various accused.
He said after Modack’s middleman, Ziyaad Poole was busted, he told cops he hated Modack.
But the cop said he was already aware that Poole was the nephew of Moegamat Toufeek “Bubbles” Brown, the brother-in-law of Adiel Mukadam, and was seen on cameras handing money to Amaal Jantjies.
Ballistic tests conducted on projectiles found at the Heerschap murder scene matched a firearm discovered in Woodstock in the possession of Abdia Lucas.
Lucas had given her address as the headquarters of the Terribles in Argyle Street, and had also given Joubert the name of one of the accused and a nickname of the shooter, which led him to the State’s star witness, Mr A.
Mr A had confessed to the Heerschap murder and earlier this year turned his fellow gang members, describing in detail how they planned hits, allegedly at the instruction of Modack.
The trial continues.