Police in South Africa reported that four individuals, including two Mexican nationals and two South Africans, were arrested after authorities executed the largest drug bust in the country’s history on a farm near the border on Saturday.
According to Al Jazeera, law enforcement discovered an industrial-scale illicit drug laboratory on a farm in Groblersdal, a small town in the Limpopo province, which borders Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.
The bust, described by Katlego Mogale, the national spokesperson for the Hawks, an elite police unit, was significant due to the involvement of Mexican nationals. Authorities seized large quantities of chemicals, including acetone, used in the production of illicit drugs.
The acetone and other confiscated chemicals were estimated to have a street value of two billion rand ($109.5 million), as reported by Al Jazeera.
“What makes this different from other seizures is the involvement of Mexican citizens,” Ms. Mogale said. “It means that our task has just become very difficult,” she told Reuters.
Ms. Mogale noted that the investigation is ongoing, as it remains unclear whether the suspects—Gonzales Jorge (51), Gutierrez Lopes (43), Simphiwe Khumalo (35), and Frederick Botha (67)—were manufacturing drugs for distribution within South Africa or for export.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, South Africa is one of the largest meth markets in the world and serves as a transit location for illicit drugs.
The four men, including the owner of the farm, were arraigned in a court in Groblersdal in connection with the case but were not asked to enter a plea. Their next hearing is scheduled for August 1.
