About Andre Bertie Els

Everyone has a story to tell. The journeys of my life could be in a way your journey, just different in setting and time. The difference between you and me could be the way we were raised or taught, but we are not talking about you. We are talking about my life and how it played out through good times and bad. The adventures over the course of my life were not always fun, but I learnt early on, life is what you make of it. No matter where you were born.

CHAPTER 22 1994

Return to East London I was sent back to SANAB East London. Some of my old colleagues were happy to see me back, and I was happy to be back in East London. I was anxious and eager to share the new techniques I had learnt. But, as always, there were the old school detectives. Those who were not very keen on changing

CHAPTER 22 19942024-08-05T17:50:31+10:00

CHAPTER 21 | Organised Crime Intelligence Unit

At the end of 1992, I was approached by the Intelligence Commander of the then-newly formed Organised Crime Intelligence Office in Cape Town. I was offered a position. I accepted it and was transferred to Cape Town, where I joined up with the Organised Crime Intelligence Unit. The unit exclusively worked on investigating crime syndicates. After a crime syndicate group was identified, they

CHAPTER 21 | Organised Crime Intelligence Unit2024-06-25T07:47:59+10:00

CHAPTER 20 | Boxing come back

During the first week in March 1992 my friend and Second in Command called me into his office. He said that I had to be in Port Elizabeth during the following week and that I had to report to a certain warrant officer that would be assisting us with a two weeks’ fitness training camp. The fitness camp was to prepare for the

CHAPTER 20 | Boxing come back2024-05-11T19:06:27+10:00

CHAPTER 19 | Transfer to George

I enjoyed my career at SANAB. I wanted a promotion, wrote exams which I passed and was promoted to a warrant officer. I also got married a year or two earlier and everything was good, but now problems started brewing. Problems with the in-laws and my brothers- in-law. The one brother-in-law had a drug problem. I arrested him twice before for possession of

CHAPTER 19 | Transfer to George2024-05-09T00:10:32+10:00

CHAPTER 18 | Sierra Leone

I heard a rumour that there was a different way to earn good money. It was said that in three months, you could earn the same as a year's salary working for the police force in South Africa. I looked into it and found out that it constituted working as a guard on a diamond mine in Sierra Leone. An overseas company was

CHAPTER 18 | Sierra Leone2024-04-12T23:34:18+10:00

CHAPTER 17 | 1987- South African Narcotics Bureau

CHAPTER 17 1987- SANAB (South African Narcotics Bureau) I wanted to work at the Narcotics division of SANAB. However, SANAB consisted of three divisions. The Vice Squad, the Liquor Squad and the Drug Squad. It was required that you start your probation at the Vice Squad. After probation, you could then move to Liquor Squad and from there to the Drug squad. Of

CHAPTER 17 | 1987- South African Narcotics Bureau2024-02-07T19:17:15+10:00

CHAPTER 16 | 1986 Murder and Robbery

After a few years with the Reaction / Riot Squad, I decided I wanted to become a detective. I have had enough of all the Rambo stuff and fighting riots. The Riot Squad was an elite unit containing great colleagues and friends, but it was time to move on. I had a lot of resistance from the Colonel in charge of the Riot

CHAPTER 16 | 1986 Murder and Robbery2023-12-08T00:27:05+10:00

CHAPTER 14 | Nearly a Professional Boxer

CHAPTER 14 Nearly A Professional Boxer After a few months of following Pierre Coetzer's progress in the professional ring and him winning his fights, I thought. That could be an easy way to make some money. All I had to do was fight a few locals as a professional boxer. I applied for a professional boxing license. After a few weeks and a

CHAPTER 14 | Nearly a Professional Boxer2023-11-08T23:10:54+10:00

CHAPTER 13 | Police Boxing Championships in Pretoria

During the same year I joined the Riot Squad, I had a call from the police sporting office in Pretoria. They informed me I had to get ready and fit for the police boxing championship tournament in Pretoria. After my dad’s death, I started losing interest in boxing. I was playing rugby for the police and the rugby training was not as demanding as

CHAPTER 13 | Police Boxing Championships in Pretoria2023-08-19T03:23:58+10:00

CHAPTER 12 | 1982 Reaction Unit -Riot Squad

On my return from Border Duty to East London, I accepted a transfer from the uniform branch and became a member of the Reaction Unit. Later it was renamed - Riot Squad. It was an elite unit. There were only about twelve members in the Reaction Unit. We received a lot of specialized training in SWAT procedures. The Police task force, which was

CHAPTER 12 | 1982 Reaction Unit -Riot Squad2023-09-13T19:40:44+10:00
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