SERIES: On the tail of a lion - Chapter 2

A TRAP IS LAID

Greg* has to hurry. The Lion has phoned. There has been an armed robbery at his cellphone shop and he needs the police reservist to meet him in Radio Road informal settlement, Alberton, quickly.

Today is the day Greg is meant to buy his first planned drug purchase as part of Operation LA.

He has a spy camera on him and the Hawks are ready. Greg is getting into the zone - psyching himself up once again. He has worked for over a year to get to this point. The police reservist has become so close to The Lion, Philip Nsofor, the Hawks have got interested, stepped in and registered Operation LA - Lion of Alberton - Nsofor's boastful moniker.

Greg arrives in Radio Road to find Alberton's biggest drug lord beating someone up.

"I was about a 100 metres away from him when I drove into the squatter camp. He beat the guy and dragged him to me. I thought the guy was going to die there at my feet. There was a big hole in his head and he was pissing blood everywhere," Greg recalls.

The Lion drops the man at Greg's feet and drives off. Greg believes that The Lion wants him to arrest the man, but angry residents of Radio Road, seeing the bleeding man, presume the white man in civvies has assaulted him. Greg only escapes the mob when he calls a uniformed policeman to help get him out.

Back at the station, Greg has a dilemma.

“I was in a position where I had seen this crime,” he says. “What do I do? Do I give the statement and go for the attempted murder charge? Or don’t give a statement and maintain my cover.”

He gives the statement.

BETRAYAL

That night The Lion phones. He has heard a case of attempted murder has been opened against him.

“I tried to convince him that I was forced to give a statement,” says Greg.

Nsofor doesn't believe him, but they remain in contact. They talk more as the court date draws close. Greg convinces The Lion that if the case goes to court, he will take the stand and deny everything.

He tells him this he will do out of loyalty.

Greg knows that if he does take the stand, under oath he will tell the truth.

But he has a hunch the Nigerian has made a plan.  

And he's right. On the day of the court case, the charges are miraculously withdrawn. Greg believes The Lion either intimidated or paid off the man he had beaten within in an inch of his life.

Shortly afterwards Greg meets Nsofor at a hot dog stand outside the Germiston Country Club. The Lion thanks Greg for his loyalty.

Operation LA is back on track.

A week later Nsofor asks Greg to meet in Radio Road.

The reservist and drug lord still have an arrangement - Greg's cover is that he needs quality drugs to sell to swingers parties.

He is met by one of The Lion's runners. He hands Greg a ziplock bag containing two plastic packets of light brown powder and five paper sticker sheets, that have hearts printed on them.

The deal happens, and Greg makes his first controlled purchase.

In the coming weeks, he makes three more.

After each buy, he checks in with his Hawks handler, hands over the recorded footage and the drugs, which are sealed in evidence bags.

Then on the afternoon of October 7, 2009 at Nsofor's shop, The Lion personally hands Greg the score - a clear packet containing a pale yellow powder.

“What you are holding in your hand is the best medicine,” Nsofor says.

“That is probably why you sell it for R500,” Greg replies.

Greg leaves and drives to a shopping centre in Alberton north, where he meets his Hawks handler. The “best medicine” gets sealed in forensic evidence bag number FSB 205086.

Greg's handler tells him it's time to back off from the investigation. The police have enough evidence.

So Greg's association with Operation LA ends, and he slips back into everyday life.

Now two unlikely informants will play their part in Operation LA, and deliver the next blow against the Lion of Alberton. 

• The details of this story were gleaned from court records, interviews with the reservists, police officers, prosecutor and drug mules and users who were instrumental in arresting and prosecuting the Lion of Alberton.
• Asterix near names denote a name change, done at the behest of the individuals who are still working undercover in pursuit of other drug dealers and criminals.

Next: Chapter 3 - Unlikely heroes

Previously: Chapter 1 - A stranger comes to town