GAUTENG – Two foreign nationals in their late thirties were arrested in Erasmia on Wednesday, 09 September 2026, for allegedly manufacturing illicit drugs, including Mandrax tablets with an estimated value of R100 million. The arrests followed a targeted joint operation by South African law enforcement agencies acting on credible intelligence regarding a clandestine laboratory operating on a local smallholding.
According to officials from the Hawks and the South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau (SANEB), the multidisciplinary team executed the raid based on specific information about drug manufacturing activities at the premises. Upon visiting the smallholding, investigators discovered an active drug laboratory where the suspects were allegedly producing Mandrax tablets.
During the search of the property, law enforcement personnel also uncovered a second, newly established laboratory setup where the suspects were preparing to manufacture crystal meth.
The operation was conducted jointly by members of the Hawks, SANEB, Headquarters Crime Intelligence, K9 West Rand, and the Special Task Force Pretoria. Officials emphasized that this bust is part of a much broader national effort by the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Hawks, Customs, and allied law enforcement agencies to intensify the fight against the production and distribution of illicit drugs.
The two suspects remain in custody and are scheduled to appear before the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 11 September 2026, to face charges related to the illegal manufacturing of narcotics.
