Crackdown chronology

A drug laboratory worth about R2-billion was uncovered at a Limpopo farm. Three men from Mexico, along with two local suspects, were detained. Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, who headed the Hawks at the time, said the Mexican suspects might be Sinaloa Cartel members.

A Mexican suspect was arrested after a drug-making facility, worth around R100-million, was discovered in Tshwane.

Five Mexican suspects, along with a South African, were arrested after a clandestine drug production facility was discovered outside Volksrust in Mpumalanga. It was suspected that crystal methamphetamine was produced there.

It was announced that a drug manufacturing facility, worth about R1-billion, was discovered in Swartruggens in North West. Those arrested were Fabian Astorga, Jesus Alonso, Medina Astorga, Luis Alberto Ramirez Rios, Jose Andres Medina and Jacquelin Lopez Madrid of Mexico; Ismael Afiado Massingue and Lourenco Constantino Cumbane of Mozambique; Tobias Soyani of Zimbabwe; and Tyron John Schutte, Kyle Schutte and Vusi Amos Mkambi of South Africa.

Five suspects were arrested after an alleged crystal methamphetamine factory was uncovered on a farm in Limpopo. Two of the suspects are from Mexico.