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South African authorities have uncovered a major crystal methamphetamine laboratory near the country’s border with Zimbabwe, arresting five foreign nationals and seizing drugs and equipment valued at about 600 million rand ($37 million).
The operation, carried out overnight on Thursday, targeted a hidden facility on a farm near Musina, a northern border town in Limpopo province. Police said the raid uncovered what they described as a sophisticated, industrial-scale operation allegedly involved in the production of illicit substances for distribution.
Those arrested include two Mexican nationals, two Zimbabweans and one Malawian. Authorities said the seizure included large quantities of drugs as well as equipment used in the manufacturing process.
“The discovery has exposed an alleged sophisticated, industrial-scale operation believed to have been established for the manufacture of dangerous illicit substances destined for distribution,” police said in a statement.
The raid follows a series of recent drug-related investigations involving Mexican nationals, prompting concerns among South African authorities that Latin American criminal networks may be expanding their operations into Africa.
In May, police dismantled another methamphetamine laboratory on a remote farm northwest of Johannesburg, arresting 11 suspects, including four Mexicans. Investigators estimated the value of drugs produced at that facility at around 250 million rand.
Another operation in September uncovered a clandestine laboratory in a rural area about 250 kilometres southeast of Johannesburg. Police seized methamphetamine worth approximately 350 million rand and arrested five Mexican nationals.
South Africa has become a significant market for methamphetamine, while demand for the drug has also grown in neighbouring countries and across parts of the region, according to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime.
A July 2025 report by the Geneva-based organisation said drug laboratories in South Africa and Mozambique represent signs of “the expansion of Latin American cartels into Africa” and their cooperation with local criminal groups.
Authorities say the latest discovery highlights the growing complexity of organised drug networks operating across borders and the need for stronger regional cooperation to disrupt their activities.
