Dirty world of spies, drugs, and diamonds
Thalefang Charles | Friday October 10, 2014 16:28
Detailed documents and a two-hour interrogation video of former international spy Andrew Sanderson have once more exposed alleged shady dealings within the intelligence and security community. The documents and video were recently leaked to Mmegi.
According to Sanderson’s phone log and a two-hour video seen and studied by Mmegi investigation team, Sanderson was simultaneously handled, by security agencies such as the Directorate of Intelligence and Security (DIS), Military Intelligence (MI) and the police’s Diamond and Narcotics Squad (DNS) at times without the knowledge of the other.
Last week Mmegi revealed for the first time that Sanderson had entered into a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with the DIS boss Isaac Kgosi to assist in the fight against the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country. Ironically Sanderson was also a drug dealer and worked closely with powerful drug lords in the country.
This week, we reveal further contents of Sanderson’s phone log and some of the most shocking allegations raised by the shady spy.
During the interrogation Sanderson explained in details his connections with agents from MI. His handler at MI he says, is a man he refers as ‘Satan’, probably because the last three digits of his cell number were 666 in the phone book (real names used in the interrogation video have been withheld).
He described his handler as a shady and unethical character who did not mind breaking the law for his own benefit. According to Sanderson, at one point he lived in fear of his handler after he allegedly crossed his path.
He said the handler was a dangerous man who always carried a gun. “… I was always afraid of him, because, one, he knew where the family lived (Sanderson’s family), two, he always carried a gun…” Despite his fears, the two were involved in operations that included arresting illegal ivory and diamond dealers.
Satan and Sanderson usually met at Notwane bar in Extension 12, where they planned all the operations. In all the operations that he jointly handled with Satan they usually shared the rewards that were intended for Sanderson.
“That was his deal, I didn’t want to question him.” In one operation in Gaborone they split P20,000 in half after arresting Zimbabweans who were dealing in ivory. The same goes for a similar operation in Ramotswa in 2008. Sanderson alleged that he was paid in cash for all the operations he was involved in.
Diamonds
According to Sanderson very senior people in Botswana politics were also dealing in illegal diamonds. He narrated a story in which together with MI officers, they failed to nab a sitting Member of Parliament (names withheld) at Parliamentary flats after attempting to set him up.
“One time he (Satan) brought a sergeant from the military… that was the case where we ended up going to the MPs houses.
It was MP (names withheld) who was going to sell the diamonds, but then all of a sudden something went wrong, I don’t know maybe the MP recognised me in the car, I don’t know,” said Sanderson.
Posing as a white diamond buyer, Sanderson alleged that Satan at one point sent him to Grand Palm to set up two women who were dealing illegally in diamonds, but he never showed up for the sting operation.
“I was referred to meet two women at Grand Palm parking lot.
The ladies had quite a handful of stones (diamonds). They (women) showed up, they had the diamonds but nobody else showed up. It was very weird. I showed up, I was there alone and met these two women. I was left in a position where I (said to the women) I would organise some money and I left at that stage.”
He said he did not know why Satan and law enforcers failed to show up and arrest the two women. In another case Sanderson alleged that he helped Satan apprehend a diamond dealer in Gaborone only for the handler to later refuse to give him his reward claiming that the diamonds were discovered to be fake.
Sanderson was shocked by Satan’s claim because the diamonds appeared legitimate and were contained in a sealed De Beers container saying, “…It was a De Beers container, numbered, serial numbered and sealed. And then several days later he came and said the diamonds were fake and there are no rewards.”
Drugs
Sanderson confessed in the video, that he personally met DIS director Kgosi and entered into a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ with him to assist in the fight against drugs.
“I gave him 70% of all the dealers in town. Three major suppliers in this country. Their names, addresses and vehicle registrations,” he said.
He recalled a case where they conducted a sting operation to nab “one white guy who was a big shot drug dealer” in Gaborone but later there was complications in the case and the guy was let loose by the DIS because he was their informer too.
He spoke about one operation in an attempt to arrest a big shot cocaine supplier from Namibia who lives in Tlokweng with a street name of ‘Rudeboy’ who drives a black BMW X5. He said this particular operation failed because, “the X5 guys lost the DIS tail while the agents were in pursuit of their vehicle.” Sanderson revealed that another successful DIS operation they had was when they arrested ecstasy dealers in G-West.
Crack snorting agents
In another shocking revelation, Sanderson said some of the agents that handled him were drug addicts who failed to keep away from drugs. The video revelation is supported by text messages sent to Sanderson by some of the agents in 2009. He said at one point one MI agent who was supposed to have been part of the covert operation at Mondior Hotel (room 201) to arrest drug dealers, suddenly decided to smoke crack right in front of the dealers, when he (Sanderson) was buying crack.
“He was supposed to have been my contact from South Africa (SA) who was not even taking crack. And within five minutes in the room he started smoking crack at the window. That surprised me, to be honest,” he recalled. He said he was very angry with the agent and told him, “I have told these people you don’t do crack, now you are making my story look stupid.” Sanderson said that he worked closely with both DIS and DNS and occasionally provided them with drug samples.
Text message sent to Sanderson by security agents also suggest that some of the agents may have been illegal drug junkies. The agents could not stay away from drugs and relied on Sanderson to supply them with drugs. The following are some of the messages Sanderson received in January 2009 from DIS agents (names withheld).
“Bro u told me u got stuff 4 me and u will chek me late last nyt so wassup m so desparate lyk I told u pls bro tel me something pls m going through hell pls (SIC),” a DIS agents sent Sanderson the message on January 6, 2009 at 07:40am.
The same agent later sent Sanderson a text message at 12:08pm begging him to provide him with what appeared to be drugs after he failed to respond to his earlier text message, “Bro don do that 2 yr brother pls have mercy nt to be cruel lyk that told m desperate and nid help and u could have not promised sop that I give up and forget pls (SIC).”
In another message sent at 4:13pm the agent appeared to have given up on the ‘supply’ from Sanderson. “I don wanna put my fu***n pair here and u don’t come bro may be I need 2 move around and get help and b4 its late 4 me(SIC).”
Broke spies
Most of the spies from DIS and MI often solicited monetary favours from Sanderson. Besides sharing operation rewards with him, Sanderson was partly responsible for the upkeep of agents. In the interrogation video he alleged that his MI handler Satan was a demanding man.
He said he was always demanding money from him. “For fuel, for this and for that, I am hungry. I need new speakers. He pretends to be a DJ.” The desperation on the part of the agents comes out clear in text messages Sanderson received on different dates in January 2009. The messages depict the agents as unstable beggars that begged for money and at times airtime from Sanderson. They sent him many ‘call backs’ in desperation. The agents appeared broke and wanted Sanderson to come to their rescue.
“Hei bro pls make up a plan 4 me m desperately in nid of 5 or 6 clips pls to sort out some shit here pls payable in a wik pls bro pls (SIC)”. Sanderson received this text message from a DIS agent in January 3, 2009 at 5:35pm.
Two hours later at 7:17pm, the agent sent another text message, “Bro did you talk to him and whats the response lemme talk to him, get me mascom pls bro pls (SIC)”.
The same agent had on numerous occasions begged Sanderson to buy him airtime. The following day (January 04, 2009) the same DIS agent shared his cash problems with Sanderson. “ … I m ok only cash breakdown and nid 2 sort out some sh*t ka Tuesday pls.”
In January 8, 2009 at 09:43 the agent makes yet another desperate plea to Sanderson, “Hei 4got to ask u some bro gimme a loan of 5 payable next wik pls bro no disappointments today not on my special day pls bro urgent. (SIC)”