Police uncovered a suspected Mandrax lab on a plot in Skeerpoort near Hartbeespoort and arrested four suspects. Image credit SAPS
Police have arrested a 39 year old Zimbabwean man and three women after uncovering a suspected Hartbeespoort drug lab on Tuesday. Officers found the facility on a plot in Skeerpoort, near Hartbeespoort Dam in North West.
According to police, the site was allegedly used to produce Mandrax. Inside, officers found processed drugs, a drug mixture still in production and manufacturing equipment. In addition, they seized a rifle, three handguns and ammunition.
The three women are aged between 23 and 29. Police have not released the names of any of the suspects or the nationalities of the women.
How police found the Hartbeespoort drug lab
The bust started with a tip-off. Members of the Hartbeespoort Dam crime prevention unit received information about suspicious activity at the property. They then shared it with Brits Crime Intelligence and the Hartbeespoort K9 unit, who helped to verify it.
When officers arrived, they found the four suspects at the property. North West police spokesperson Adele Myburgh confirmed that police arrested one man and three women at the scene.
Furthermore, national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said officers discovered a facility used to produce the drug. So far, police have not said how much the seized drugs are worth. Investigators are still working to determine their value.
The four suspects face charges of dealing in and manufacturing drugs, as well as possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. They are expected to appear in the Brits Magistrates Court soon.
North West Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Arthur Peter Adams visited the scene. He said police remain committed to breaking up organised crime syndicates involved in making and selling drugs.
A wave of drug lab busts in 2026
The Hartbeespoort bust adds to a string of drug lab discoveries across South Africa this year. Many of these labs operate on isolated farms and plots close to major roads, which makes it easier to move chemicals and drugs.
In May, police raided a massive methamphetamine lab near Swartruggens, also in North West, and arrested 13 people. Among them were five Mexican chemists. Then in August, officers seized about five tons of chemicals used to make drugs at a lab in Musina, Limpopo. In September, police also uncovered another industrial scale lab at Klipvoor.
Investigators have linked several of these larger labs to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. According to reports, the cartel uses South Africa as a base to produce methamphetamine for markets as far away as Australia and New Zealand. However, police have not linked the Hartbeespoort lab to any cartel.
For now, the four suspects remain in custody as investigators work to uncover who else may be behind the Hartbeespoort drug lab.
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