South African police say they have dismantled a sprawling crystal methamphetamine laboratory on a remote Limpopo farm, arresting five suspects and seizing drugs and equipment valued at more than $37 million on the street.

The operation, led by the Hawks, the elite directorate for priority crime investigation, followed weeks of surveillance on the property near the country’s northern border. Officers moved in under cover of darkness, raiding outbuildings that had allegedly been converted into a fully fledged industrial drug plant.

Inside, investigators found large quantities of crystal meth in various stages of production, precursor chemicals, industrial mixers, gas burners, ventilation systems and protective gear. Police also recovered an undisclosed amount of cash believed to be proceeds from the illicit trade.

Authorities described the site as a sophisticated, industrial-scale facility designed to manufacture “dangerous illicit substances destined for distribution” across South Africa and beyond. Initial assessments suggest the lab was capable of producing significant volumes of meth for regional markets.

The five suspects, aged between 20 and 47, include two Mexican nationals, two Zimbabweans and a Malawian. They are expected to face charges related to the manufacture, possession and dealing of illegal drugs when they appear in the Musina Magistrates Court.

Investigators say the raid is the latest in a string of operations in which Mexican nationals have been arrested in connection with meth production in South Africa. The pattern has strengthened suspicions that Latin American cartels are using the country as both a manufacturing base and a transit hub.

Security analysts note that South Africa’s developed transport infrastructure, porous borders and established criminal networks make it attractive to foreign syndicates seeking to expand into African and overseas markets. Meth produced in southern Africa is believed to be trafficked to neighbouring states and, increasingly, to Asia and Europe.

According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, South Africa is already a major consumer market for meth, with demand rising in urban centres and informal settlements. The organisation has warned that drug laboratories in South Africa and Mozambique illustrate the deepening cooperation between Latin American cartels and local criminal groups.

Hawks officials say forensic analysis of the seized chemicals and equipment, along with financial investigations, will aim to map the broader network behind the Limpopo lab and identify possible links to international cartels.