PRETORIA – Today the South African Police Service uncovered a major drug laboratory at Lefaso farm in Phuthaditjhaba in the Free State worth millions of rands.
During a multi-disciplinary intelligence-driven operation member of the SAPS Crime Intelligence, Crime Detection and the Hawks descended on two buildings on the Lefaso farm. On seeing the police, suspects fled in a Toyota Fortuner and another on foot.
A high-speed chase between the police and the Fortuner ensued from the farm and the suspect’s vehicle was eventually stopped at Warden and a suspect in his 50’s was arrested. While this was happening, a 32-year-old suspect was pursued on foot and also arrested.
The two buildings which should have been used for farming were instead being used solely for the manufacture of mandrax tablets. While one building was being used to manufacture the finished product, the other was being used for the storage of chemicals and other ingredients as well as for the preparation of the mixture for the making of the tablets.
Following the discovery on the farm, teams simultaneously raided two houses in the Kiblerpark and Forrest Hill areas South of Johannesburg. Both houses have been positively connected to the farm after drugs, chemicals and substantial amounts of money were found in both houses. Over and above this, all of the people linked to the farm and the houses share the same surname.
While it is difficult to put a value to a drug manufacturing laboratory, with all the contents, chemicals and machinery one can estimate the operation to be no less than R100 million.
The operations today stems from arrests and recoveries made in Middleburg in the Mpumalanga Province as well as Diepkloof in Soweto outside Johannesburg some weeks ago.
The arrest of the latest two suspects brings the number of suspects arrested in connection with all of these drug operations to 11.
Members of the public are encouraged to download the MySAPSApp on any iPhone or Android device to have easy access to the police to, among others, provide tip-offs or to report any information relating to drugs to the SAPS through the SAPS Crime Stop number 08600 10111. Callers may remain anonymous and all information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Two houses raided in Johannesburg South after major drug lab uncovered in the Free State today https://t.co/R7DAHynzFh#ArriveAlive #MajorDrugLab @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/FWoJmcK6iQ
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) November 15, 2019