South African police say they have uncovered a crystal meth lab worth about $20 million during a raid on a remote farm in Volksrust, Mpumalanga Province. The facility, located some 225km southwest of Johannesburg, was fitted with industrial equipment, weighing scales and even lunch boxes filled with the illegal drug.
According to police, five suspects described as being from a North American country were arrested during the operation, while two others, believed to be from West Africa, managed to escape and are still on the run. The farm’s caretaker was also taken in after officers found live rounds and a pellet gun on the property.
Investigators revealed the breakthrough came after a community member raised the alarm, reporting a suspicious chemical smell coming from the farm. Acting provincial commissioner, Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi, commended the public for their vigilance, stressing that intelligence-led policing would continue until the drug trade is dismantled.
South Africa has battled a growing meth crisis in recent years. Reports by the UN and the Global State of Harm Reduction rank the country among the world’s largest crystal meth consumer markets, with its porous borders making it a hotspot for traffickers.
Friday’s raid is not the first of its kind. Just last year, police busted another meth lab on a different farm, arresting two Mexicans and two South Africans. Authorities say the latest seizure highlights both the scale of the drug challenge and the determination of security agencies to clamp down on it.
