Joint operation busts R600M Musina drug lab, 5 arrested

South African authorities, in a joint operation with United States agencies, have dismantled a crystal methamphetamine laboratory valued at approximately 600 million rand on a farm in Musina, Limpopo province, and arrested five foreign nationals. The raid, conducted late on the night of August 20, 2026, followed a two-month investigation into suspected industrial-scale drug manufacturing at the location near the Zimbabwean border.

The operation was carried out by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS), the South African Narcotics Bureau, Crime Intelligence, the Special Task Force, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security. Officials reported seizing drugs and laboratory equipment with an estimated street value of R600 million, along with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The five suspects, aged between 20 and 47, were identified as two Mexican nationals, two Zimbabwean nationals, and one Malawian national. They are scheduled to appear in the Musina Magistrates Court on August 24, 2026, facing charges of manufacturing and possessing illicit drugs. Authorities indicated that...