Two drug manufacturers allegedly producing mandrax worth millions for Western Cape merts have been busted in Magaliesberg.
The duo, aged 72 and 37, are believed to have planned to send the drugs worth an estimated R150 million to the Mother City, but were stopped when the Hawks swooped on them on Thursday.
Spokesperson Philani Nkwalase said the Hawks’ South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB) in alliance with Crime Intelligence and Special Task Force pounced on the duo reportedly operating a fully functional and hidden laboratory in the rural Mogale City, Magaliesburg, in the late hours of Thursday.
“The police’s joint team executed a search and seizure warrant following an intensive investigation into the drug supply flowing into the Western Cape. During the search, the police found mandrax paste, mandrax tablets, mandrax press, oven to dry methaqualone, buckets of methaqualone, and drums of powder used in the manufacturing of mandrax worth an estimated R150 million.”
The duo were set to appear in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court today where they will be facing charges of dealing in drugs and contravening the Drug Trafficking Act.
The National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, lieutenant general Godfrey Lebeya applauded the provincial Serious Organised Crime investigation team together with Crime Intelligence for their work.
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