Four arrested in multimillion-dollar meth lab bust in South Africa
Al Jazeera
More than $100m worth of chemicals used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs were seized in raid, police say.
South African police have uncovered an industrial-scale meth lab and arrested four suspects, including two Mexicans, in one of the country’s biggest-ever drug busts.
The laboratory was discovered on a farm in Groblersdal, a small town in Limpopo province in the northeast of the country, the police said in a statement on Saturday.
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa; it borders Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Law enforcement agents found large quantities of chemicals, such as acetone, used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs, including crystal meth, with an estimated street value of 2 billion rand ($109.5m), the statement said.
“What makes this different from other [seizures] is the involvement of Mexican citizens,” said Katlego Mogale, national spokesperson for the Hawks, an elite police unit that took part in the raid.
