Just over a month after the discovery of two clandestine laboratories and a chemical warehouse in Standerton, authorities have uncovered yet another underground drug manufacturing facility in the same area.
The latest bust occurred on 14 May 2025 at Rooikopen Farm, where an underground laboratory was found hidden beneath a container. This follows earlier raids at Mahonie Street and another site at Rooikopen Farm, where chemicals and equipment believed to be used in drug production were seized.
Coordinated Clean-Up and Investigation
All three sites remained active crime scenes until a specialized cleaning company, appointed with the assistance of the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Hawks Supply Chain Management, and Standerton SAPS, was brought in to decontaminate the areas.
Before the cleaning process could begin, the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation received a tip-off about a concealed entrance leading to an underground lab beneath one of the containers. Acting on this intelligence, investigators identified and accessed the hidden facility.
Recovered Evidence
Inside the underground lab, authorities found:
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Drug-manufacturing machinery
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Drums and plastic containers filled with unknown substances
The Hawks have not yet confirmed the estimated value of the seized equipment and chemicals, as further forensic analysis is required.
Ongoing Forensic Analysis
The scene remains under police guard, pending a full examination by the Forensic Science Laboratory (Chemistry) to determine the exact nature of the substances and machinery recovered.
Suspects and Previous Seizures
Eight suspects—two South African nationals and six Mozambican nationals—remain in custody following their arrest during the initial raids in April 2025.
In addition to the drug labs, authorities confiscated:
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11 vehicles, including high-performance luxury cars
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Millions of Rand in cash
Hawks Vow to Dismantle Drug Network
Major General Nico Gerber, Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), praised the investigative team for their persistence in uncovering the drug operations.
“The Hawks will leave no stone unturned in dismantling this enterprise and its associated structures,” Gerber stated, reaffirming the commitment to eradicating organised drug manufacturing in the province.
Investigations continue as authorities work to trace the broader network behind the clandestine laboratories.
