Police arrested two Mexicans following a night raid on a farm near Musina in South Africa’s Limpopo province, where a massive crystal meth laboratory was found.
The operation was the result of a two‑month investigation into suspicious farm activity. Authorities seized drugs and equipment valued at about 600m rand (roughly $37m) and an undisclosed amount of cash.
In addition to the Mexican suspects, a Zimbabwean and a Malawian national were also detained. All five are scheduled to appear in court on Monday to face charges related to drug manufacturing and possession.
This raid is part of a trend, as South African police have uncovered several remote meth labs over the past two years, many involving Mexican nationals. Earlier incidents include a May 2024 raid on a farm near Johannesburg that seized drugs worth $6m, a September 2023 raid in the east of the country that found a $20m lab, and a July 2024 operation in Limpopo that uncovered a $108m facility.
The United Nations cites South Africa’s porous borders as a factor in its role as a transit point for illicit drugs, while the Global State of Harm Reduction report identifies it as one of the world’s largest crystal meth consumer markets.
Experts argue that Mexican drug cartels are increasingly using Africa not only as a trafficking hub but also as a production base, a phenomenon observed in countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. The US‑Africa Command has reported 14 Mexican‑operated labs raided across the continent since 2023.
