Nafiz Modack: Hawks confirm arrests after high-speed chase in Cape Town

Alleged Cape Town gang leader Nafiz Modack has been arrested on Thursday 29 April 2021, with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) – better known as the Hawks – swooping on the notorious underworld figure and four other suspects during a dramatic high speed chase. 

The arrest of Modack is believed to be connected to the murder of Anti-Gang Unit member and top detective Charl Kinnear in September last year, as well as the attempted murder of prominent Cape Town attorney William Booth.

High-speed chase leads to Modack arrest  

TimesLIVE’s Aron Hyman said that Modack’s attorney Irfan Parker had confirmed that his client, along with three others, had been taken into custody near Century City. It was reported that Parker said that the nature of the charges against his client remain unclear, and that he is in contact with him to learn more as he is held in custody. 

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said that the arrests are connected to “cases of attempted murder of an advocate, murder of a police officer, as well as gang-related extortion, kidnapping and intimidation in the Milnerton area”. She could not confirm that it was indeed Modack who was arrested, but provided the information on the back of an explicit inquiry regarding the alleged gang boss by The South African.

“The suspects were noticed by the team in Century View. When the team attempted to stop them,  they accelerated with one vehicle missing one of the members.  A high speed chase ensued and the suspects were cornered at Sable road and arrested,” said Mogale. 

“During the arrest, two vehicles were searched. Inside the Mercedes with two occupants that was stopped, two unlicensed firearms were recovered. In the second vehicle, a Toyota Hilux with two occupants, an unlicensed firearm was recovered.”

Bheki Cele lauds Modack arrest  

Police Minister Bheki Cele said that the arrests are vital and worthy of merit. 

“This breakthrough must be congratulated more so because we have always maintained that the murder of Lt Col Kinnear was no random act but a callous act that’s part of a conspiracy which is being exposed by the work of the police. We also expect more arrests to follow.”

The four will appear on Monday in the Cape Town Magistrates’ court on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, extortion and kidnapping.

Underworld figures under the microscope  

Modack was acquitted to all charges relating to the alleged extortion of The Grand Cafe in February 2020, with the ruling coming over two years after the alleged intimidation of the popular nightclub and restaurant began. 

Modack has long been suspected to be involved in the Cape Town underworld with links to figures such as Mark Lifman and co-accused Colin Booysen, brother of alleged gang kingpin Jerome “Donkie” Booysen. 

In February this year, Donkie Booysen and a host of other notorious characters suspected of involvement in Cape Town’s underworld were formally charged with over 90 crimes between them relating to drug peddling and involvement in a wide scale criminal enterprise known as the “Jerome Booysen Enterprise”. 

Booysen was then charged with murder when the Hawks arrested him and his alleged underworld rival Mark Lifman shortly afterwards.