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| On a farm in the province of Limpopo, in the northern South African town of Groblersdal, police made the discovery. Police Service of South Africa |
Following intelligence that suspicious activity was occurring at the property, the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as Hawks, searched the Groblersdal property, according to a statement from SAPS.
Large amounts of chemicals needed to create illegal substances, such as crystal meth and acetone, were discovered by police after examining four buildings on the property. These chemicals are estimated to be worth $2 billion on the black market ($109.4 million).
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| Large amounts of chemicals, such as acetone and crystal meth, needed to manufacture illegal substances were discovered by the police. Police Service of South Africa |
According to the police service, the farm owner and two citizens of Mexico are among the four suspects who were taken into custody on Friday. The Hawks have not ruled out making additional arrests, they added.
The Hawks' national spokesperson, Katlego Mogale, told Reuters that the involvement of Mexican residents "makes this different from other [seizures]," and that "it means that our task has just become very difficult."
It's unclear if the medications that were found were meant for export or the South African market.
In order to learn more about the issue and the supposed Mexicans involved, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that its mission in South Africa had "not received the respective consular notification" and was in contact with local authorities.
The Hawks' national spokesperson, Katlego Mogale, told Reuters that the involvement of Mexican residents "makes this different from other [seizures]," and that "it means that our task has just become very difficult."
It's unclear if the medications that were found were meant for export or the South African market.
In order to learn more about the issue and the supposed Mexicans involved, the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that its mission in South Africa had "not received the respective consular notification" and was in contact with local authorities.
According to the police service, the suspects are scheduled to appear in Groblersdal Magistrate's court on Monday to answer to allegations of producing, distributing, and having illegal drugs.
More than 19,000 people were detained for drug possession during the holiday season of the previous year, according to police, who stated in January that about 131 drug labs had been closed nationwide since 2019.
As they pursue the nation's drug war, the Hawks have so far this year found ten covert drug labs and taken 34 people into custody, according to the statement.
According to a 2021 assessment by researchers at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, South Africa has the potential to be one of the "largest meth consumer markets in the world."
Additionally, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called it "an attractive drug transit country" the previous year. The UNODC ascribed the country's expanding synthetic drug market to its "porous borders," topography, and connections to other trading nations.
More than 19,000 people were detained for drug possession during the holiday season of the previous year, according to police, who stated in January that about 131 drug labs had been closed nationwide since 2019.
As they pursue the nation's drug war, the Hawks have so far this year found ten covert drug labs and taken 34 people into custody, according to the statement.
According to a 2021 assessment by researchers at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, South Africa has the potential to be one of the "largest meth consumer markets in the world."
Additionally, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) called it "an attractive drug transit country" the previous year. The UNODC ascribed the country's expanding synthetic drug market to its "porous borders," topography, and connections to other trading nations.
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