LIMPOPO – Members of the Tekkie Squad from Dennilton and the Marble Hall police station followed up on information received about an illegal drug laboratory on a farm outside Marble Hall, which led to arrests yesterday.
Police Spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said in a statement that four illegal firearms (two pistols and two shotguns), 17 rounds of ammunition, drug manufacturing equipment and chemicals as well as R10 million worth of drugs were recovered from the Terra Nostra Game Farm.
Mojapelo added that two suspects, aged 25 and 37, both of foreign origin were arrested at around 21:00 last night.
“The police commenced with the operation soon after they received the information. Preliminary police investigations revealed that more suspects could have been on the farm and this necessitated a manhunt. Due to the vastness of the area and the bushy environment, some of the suspects managed to evade arrest,” the statement reads.
Mojapelo said preliminary police investigations show that the farm was recently bought in cash by a person of foreign origin.
Acting Provincial Commissioner, Maj Gen Jan Scheepers thanked the members for acting on the information they received and arresting the suspects. He said the scale of the drug operation was massive: “This drug lab has the capacity to supply the entire country with illicit drugs and therefore, the action by the police in the Dennilton and Marble Hall areas is commendable,” concluded Scheepers.
The suspects will appear before the Marble Hall Magistrate’s Court soon.
