Mandrax Drug Lab Uncovered in Meadowlands, Soweto as Police Arrest 4 Suspects
- Organised crime investigators raided a residential property in Meadowlands, Soweto, on 16 October 2026 after receiving a tip-off
- Police arrested four suspects found inside the house, which allegedly contained chemicals and materials used to manufacture Mandrax tablets
- Authorities spotted at least three bags of fully developed Mandrax tablets, with a full quantity count still pending forensic processing
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GAUTENG — Police have arrested four people following the discovery of a suspected Mandrax manufacturing operation at a residential property in Meadowlands, Soweto, on 16 October 2026. The bust happened over a month after police busted a R600 million crystal meth lab in Musina, Limpopo.
Organised crime investigators in Gauteng had been monitoring the property overnight after receiving information that illegal substances were being produced at the location. A second tip-off, indicating that the narcotics were about to be moved, prompted officers to act swiftly the following morning.
4 suspects nabbed at Soweto drug lab
When police moved in, they found three suspects actively working at the back of the house and arrested them on the spot. A fourth suspect was taken into custody shortly afterwards. All four are being held on suspicion of manufacturing illegal substances.
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Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, speaking to SABC News, confirmed the find:
"I have seen like three bags of fully developed tablets of Mandrax. And there is a layout there at the back where you can see the material that they use, the products they use, the chemicals they use."
Quantity to be confirmed after forensic processing
The Laboratories, Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management unit (LCRC) had not yet completed its evidence collection at the time of the briefing, meaning no final drug quantity could be confirmed. The spokesperson explained that organised crime investigators are not permitted to handle exhibits before forensic specialists have processed the scene.
Once the LCRC team completes its work, officials said they would be in a position to provide a formal count of the seized substances.
Watch the police spokesperson brief the media at the Meadowlands crime scene:
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In a related article, Briefly News reported on five foreign nationals arrested after police uncovered a hydroponic dagga laboratory worth more than R1 million in De Deur, Gauteng. Officers also found two unlicensed firearms during the operation.
The discovery comes after police dismantled another drug laboratory in De Deur, valued at R2.3 million, and arrested four suspects. The latest bust raises further questions about the scale of illegal drug operations in the area.
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Source: Briefly News
