Large quantities of chemicals used in the manufacture of illicit drugs, such as acetone, and methamphetamine with an estimated street value of 2 billion rand ($109.5 million), were found, the statement said.
“What makes it different from others is the involvement of Mexican citizens,” said Katlego Mogale, national spokesman for the Hawks, an elite police unit that took part in the raid.
“It means our task has become very difficult,” he told Reuters.
It was unclear whether the suspects were manufacturing drugs for distribution in the country or elsewhere, he added.
South Africa is a major drug transit country due to its geography and international trade links, and also a growing market for synthetic drugs, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
(Reporting by Nellie Peyton; contributing by Wendell Roelf; Spanish editing by Javier López de Lérida)
