The easy-going pilot who once mingled with locals at Stellenbosch airfield was living a double life that stunned even seasoned investigators.
Timothy James Clark, a 46-year-old Australian known for his scruffy hair and laid-back charm, regularly flew his Sling aircraft into the Western Cape as if he were any other weekend aviator. He joked with aviation enthusiasts, popped into the Sling factory in Alberton for routine maintenance, and appeared to be nothing more than a passionate hobbyist, as reported by the City Press.
But Clark’s ‘hobby’ masked an international cocaine-smuggling operation that spanned continents and built him a fortune.
His final journey ended when the tiny Sling plunged into a Brazilian sugar cane field near Couripe on the Alagoas coast, carrying 200 kilograms of cocaine valued at roughly R920 million. Brazilian police, who had been tracking his low-flying, transponder-free trips for months, closed in only after the crash.
Investigators believe Clark was once again attempting to ferry a fresh consignment of drugs to Africa. He had reportedly used the same plane to cross the Atlantic dozens of times, with stops in Namibia and South Africa, before topping up in Brazil for yet another run.
To squeeze in extra fuel and cargo, three of the Sling 4’s four seats were removed and replaced with long-range tanks—installed in Alberton—to power his marathon flights. For each successful journey, Clark is said to have pocketed around R8.6 million.
Even the cocaine’s packaging raised eyebrows: the bricks were wrapped in fake SpaceX branding, a tactic drug syndicates use to disguise their product.
Records show Clark purchased the Sling three years ago and registered it under Mindframe Creations with South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority. The listed director, Raza Muhammad, is now unreachable. Aviation insiders say Clark also maintained a Beechcraft King Air 350, registered in Malawi, ostensibly for ‘legitimate’ flights.
The Sling had clocked around 1 200 hours since he bought it. With each Brazil–South Africa crossing taking roughly 40 hours, insiders estimate up to 30 daring transatlantic trips—potentially netting him more than R250 million.
In Australia, Clark had held directorships and secretary roles in multiple investment companies, some still active, including Stock Assist Group Pty Ltd and Gurney Capital Nominees Pty Ltd. Others, such as Bluenergy Asia Pty Ltd and Tick-Tack-Toe Pty Ltd, were deregistered in recent years, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Friends recall an unassuming man who dressed down in worn clothes and messy hair, though occasionally sporting expensive shoes. ‘If you saw him on the street, you wouldn’t have thought for a moment that he had much money,’ one source said.
Julian Rademeyer of the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime warns the Western Cape is emerging as a key cocaine offloading hub. ‘Saldanha has more recently also increasingly become the turf of gang violence, which is usually an indication of more drugs in the area,’ he noted.
Clark’s aircraft was also spotted in Namibia and, according to sources, Mozambique—both recognised drug routes.
On social media, however, Clark portrayed a life of carefree glamour, pictured in a tuxedo handing out trophies or lounging in private clubs from Cape Town to Bali.
Behind the casual image lay a globe-trotting trafficker who outsmarted authorities for years—until his billion-rand operation came to a sudden end in a Brazilian cane field.
Compiled by Aiden Daries
First published on Cape {Town} Etc
Also see: ‘He left in peace, he left me in pieces’ – wife Kyla mourns pilot husband
