The Hawks and SAPS Crime Intelligence uncovered a suspected multi million rand drug lab on a Krugersdorp farm and arrested five South Africans. Image credit SAPS.
The Hawks have busted a suspected multi million rand Krugersdorp drug lab on a farm in Gauteng. Police found Mandrax and ecstasy tablets on the premises and arrested five South Africans at the scene on Thursday, 8 October 2026.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the arrests. She said SAPS Crime Intelligence at national head office and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, uncovered the lab together.
According to Mathe, police found quantities of Mandrax and ecstasy tablets at the site. All five suspects were South African nationals found on the premises. However, police have not yet released their names, ages or the value of the drugs.
Second lab bust this week after Krugersdorp drug lab raid
Mathe said senior SAPS officers were on their way to the farm. Meanwhile, investigators are carrying out further assessments at the scene. More details are expected once they finish gathering evidence.
The Krugersdorp raid comes just days after another bust nearby. On Tuesday, police uncovered a multi million rand Mandrax lab in the Hartbeespoort area in North West. They arrested four suspects there and seized four firearms. Those suspects are expected to appear in the Brits Magistrate’s Court soon.
In addition, the two raids add to a growing list of drug lab takedowns across the country this year. In August, the Hawks smashed a suspected R600 million crystal meth operation on a farm in Musina, Limpopo. Five suspects were arrested in that case too.
Drug labs on farms and smallholdings have become a common pattern. Syndicates often choose remote properties to avoid attention while they produce drugs in large volumes. As a result, police have relied heavily on intelligence driven operations to track them down.
The five suspects arrested in Krugersdorp are expected to appear in court once police finalise charges. Investigations are continuing.
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