Case against Volksrust R350 million drug lab operators postponed. Image: SABC News.
(The Post News)- The court has postponed the case against five suspects arrested in connection with a R350 million clandestine drug laboratory in Volksrust, Mpumalanga, to 26 October 2025.
Four Mexican nationals and one South African were arrested on Friday evening after police raided the crystal meth operation on a plot in Volksrust. They made their first court appearance on Monday following a weekend in custody.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the postponement was necessary to make provision for an interpreter. “The matter has been rolled over to next month to allow the state to secure the services of a Spanish interpreter, as four of the accused do not understand English,” NPA spokesperson Monica Nyuswa confirmed.
Two other suspects, alleged to be Nigerian nationals and believed to be part of the drug syndicate, managed to evade arrest during the police raid in Volksrust. Investigations are underway to track them down.
Mpumalanga Acting Police Commissioner Zeph Mkhwanazi says, “We are going to intensify and add more members and get more members into this to make sure that we bring it under control. This looks like it was actually put in place in January, and with time, we are not sure which month it started to operate, but what we know is that in January, it started, and to have it now cracked down means our operations are having some sort of dividend.”
The five accused are facing charges that include the manufacturing of drugs, drug trafficking, and contravening the Immigration Act. Nyuswa said the state will strongly oppose any attempts by the suspects to seek bail. “Given the seriousness of the charges and the possibility of the accused evading trial, the state will oppose bail applications should they be brought forward,” she said.
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