Four suspects were arrested in an intelligence-led operation at a plot on Tuesday (6/10). Police seized four firearms, a rifle and three handguns, after Hartbeespoort Dam crime prevention officers received information about suspected illegal activity at the property. 

The information was passed to Brits crime intelligence and the Hartbeespoortdam K9 unit for verification and further investigation. Officers arrived at the address on Tuesday morning and found three women and a man on the premises.

Drugs, firearms and ammunition seized from a suspected drug laboratory. Photo: SAPS

A search uncovered what appeared to be a drug laboratory, along with processed drugs, a drug production mixture and equipment allegedly used to manufacture drugs, North West police spokesperson Col. Adéle Myburgh said.

“The four suspects, a Zimbabwean national and three women, aged between 23 and 29, were arrested and charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as dealing and manufacturing of drugs in terms of the Drugs and Drug Trafficking Act.”

The suspects are expected to appear in the Brits Magistrate’s Court soon. The latest operation follows the discovery of another suspected clandestine drug manufacturing site at a farm in Klipvoorstad, near Jericho, in September, where a suspect, 62, was arrested.

Acting on information about the suspected operation, Brits crime intelligence, the Brits trio task team and Jericho visible policing unit went to the identified farm. Police found a white Mahindra bakkie at the entrance, while three men allegedly fled into nearby bushes after spotting the approaching police vehicles.

North West police commissioner Lt. Gen. Arthur Peter Adams said the driver of the bakkie was stopped and he identified himself as the property owner. Police were granted permission to search the premises, where officers detected a strong chemical smell and found equipment and materials suspected of being used to manufacture drugs.

A tactical operation followed, resulting in the arrest of the 62-year-old man, who police believe was linked to activities at the premises. The Hartbeespoort Dam K9 unit and a police drone pilot later joined the search for the three men who fled, but they managed to evade arrest.

The latest arrests form part of a series of operations targeting suspected drug manufacturing and trafficking networks across North West. In May, five Mexicans, two Mozambicans, one Zimbabwean and three South Africans were arrested after police seized drugs estimated to be worth R1bn at a farm near Swartruggens.

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