South African investigators say Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel set up meth labs across southern Africa to supply Australia and New Zealand. A possible link between a Swartruggens farm lab raided in May and an Australian seizure remains under investigation.
The Swartruggens lab was capable of producing five tonnes of meth a month, which investigators said would be worth about $1 billion wholesale in Australia. South African narcotics chief Devon Naicker said authorities are checking whether a haul that passed through Durban came from the farm, citing its packaging; the inquiry is ongoing.
Thirteen people were arrested at the farm, including five Mexicans police identified as chemists. Investigators believe the five began production shortly after arriving on three-month tourist visas in March 2025. Sixteen Mexicans have been arrested in South African lab raids since 2024. Separately, Australian police said Mexican cartels were increasingly targeting the country’s illicit drug market. In January, a 32-year-old woman was arrested at Sydney airport after flying from South Africa with 39 kilograms of powdered meth.
