Sinaloa Cartel uses South Africa for industrial methamphetamine production

The Sinaloa Cartel has established industrial-scale methamphetamine production facilities in South Africa to supply lucrative markets in Australia and New Zealand. Investigators discovered that individuals posing as Mexican tourists entered South Africa to set up a laboratory in the town of Swartruggens.

One such facility, dismantled in May, had the capacity to produce five tons of synthetic drugs per month. In Australia, wholesale prices for methamphetamine are estimated to be between 65 and 100 times higher than in the United States, potentially generating billions of dollars in revenue.

South African authorities are investigating whether recent drug seizures in Oceania originated from the Swartruggens site, noting that shipments often pass through the port of Durban. Security sources suggest South Africa is an ideal location for such operations due to its vast land areas for concealment, global maritime and aerial connections, and existing corruption. The production process relies heavily on chemical precursors imported from China and India.