South Africa is being exposed as a drug haven with the police gradually uncovering drug labs and dealers in various parts of the country through their operations. According to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, South Africa is a major drug transit country due to its geography and international trade links and is also a growing market for synthetic drugs. The past few weeks has seen intelligence driven operations making a spate of huge busts.
GAUTENG
On Thursday the South African Police Service (SAPS) made a massive drug bust in Douglasdale,northern Johannesburg, where drugs worth around R80-million were confiscated.The crackdown led to the arrest of two foreign nationals and police say the suspects were allegedly manufacturing Mandrax tablets. Two machines used to manufacture the drugs were seized. Police also found two unlicensed guns.
The owner of the property is believed to have rented it out.
LIMPOPO
In July an industrial-scale meth lab was discovered by the Hawks in Limpopo where four suspects including two Mexicans, were arrested in what was labeled as one of the country's biggest-ever drug busts.The laboratory was discovered on a farm in Groblersdal, a small town in Limpopo
The Hawks found large quantities of chemicals, such as acetone, used in the manufacturing of illicit drugs, including crystal meth, with an estimated street value of R2 billion.
The Hawks said their task has become a difficult with the involvement of the two Mexicans because they don?t know if the drugs were manufactured to be distributed in South Africa or to exported.
KWAZULU-NATAL
Again in July the KwaZulu-Natal police raided a flat in North Ridge Park where a foreign national suspect was in the act while packaging cocaine and methcathinone worth an estimated street value of R565,000 the suspect was arrested for dealing in drugs.
The Hawks said according to their fourth quarter report more than R47 million worth of drugs have been seized and a total of 67 suspects were arrested ?" 42 of them being South African and 25 foreign nationals.
