Mexican gangs are turning South African farms into drug production centers.

Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:

A local court in the mining town of Swartrogens, South Africa, is preparing to consider a bail application for five Mexican nationals accused of involvement in one of the largest drug manufacturing cases in the country. South AfricaOr keep them in detention.

The arrests came after a police raid on a remote farm in the Northwest Province, where a huge methamphetamine production lab worth an estimated 1 billion rand (about $60 million) was discovered, along with 481 kilograms of drugs, chemicals and firearms.

An escalating pattern of drug manufacturing

The case is part of an escalating pattern of drug manufacturing operations in rural South Africa, where this discovery is no longer isolated. In just two years, four major sites linked to Mexican criminal networks have been dismantled.

In 2024, authorities raided a large facility near Groblersdale in Limpopo province, valued at between $105 million and $110 million. Later that year, another laboratory near Tshwane, worth up to $6 million, was uncovered, followed by the seizure of an additional site in Mpumalanga last year.

These sites share similar characteristics, as they are all located on remote farms far from urban areas, providing ideal cover for illegal activities away from the eyes of the authorities.

A strategic shift from drug smuggling to drug manufacturing

Experts believe this expansion reflects a strategic shift from drug trafficking to local production within the African continent. Organized crime researcher Julian Radmayer asserts that this phenomenon represents a “model of excellence,” with Mexican cartels sending chemical experts to work at offshore production sites, particularly in rural areas.

Analysts trace the beginning of this activity in Africa to Nigeria around 2016, before it spread to the east of the continent, then south through Mozambique and Botswana to South Africa.

The spread of methamphetamine is attributed to it being a cheaper and more addictive alternative compared to other drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which boosts local demand for it.

However, experts point out that demand is not the only factor; a corrupt environment plays a pivotal role in the flourishing of this industry. Crime expert Willem Else says, “Local conditions, including the protection afforded by corrupt elements within the police and politics, make local manufacturing a highly lucrative activity for gangs.”.

These concerns are reinforced by testimonies given before an official inquiry committee, which revealed suspicions of corruption within law enforcement agencies, including incidents of drug shipments disappearing from police custody.

In this context, former Interpol ambassador Andy Machyll pointed out that the existence of such laboratories could not go unnoticed by security authorities, stressing that corruption is a major factor in the continuation of these activities.

This development poses increasing security challenges for authorities in South Africa, as the country transforms into a regional production hub for drugs linked to international criminal networks.