The Volkrust Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga has postponed the case of five Mexican nationals and one South African linked to a multimillion-rand clandestine drug laboratory. The court postponed the matter to 26 September 2025 to get a Spanish interpreter for the accused.
VOLKRUST DRUG LAB BUST: HOW THE POLICE MADE THE DISCOVERY?
Police say they acted on a tip-off from a local resident on Ousehoutklood farm, outside Volkrust, who reported a foul smell. On arrival, officers stumbled upon a clandestine drug laboratory stocked with chemicals, crystal meth, and manufacturing machinery.
WHO WAS ARRESTED IN THE BUST?
The accused are:
- Isabel Antonio Quintero Corrales, 36
- Hector Manuel Valenzula Ontiveros, 36
- Luis Alberto Osorio Viscarra, 31
- Jose Omar Molina Jimenez, 36
- Nicanor Molina Jimenez, 48
- South African national, Bafana Samson Magubane, 61
The authorities seized three 9mm live rounds and an unlicensed firearm found in Magubane’s possession.
He faces an additional charge under the Firearm Control Act.
IMMIGRATION AND INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE
Police revealed that the Mexican nationals had questionable travel documents. The Department of Home Affairs will join the investigation.
The Volkrust drug lab bust follows the authorities recent discovery of another clandestine drug laboratory worth more than R50 million in Standerton.
HAWKS TAKE OVER THE VOLKRUST DRUG LAB BUST
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi confirmed that they have handed the case over to the Hawks. Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, praised the officers’ swift work.
“Together, we can do more in squeezing the space for drug syndicates,” said Gerber.
