Durban woman arrested after R3m found in car at Standerton drug lab bust

Machinery believed to be used in the illegal manufacturing of drugs, drums, and plastic containers filled with substances were recovered. Picture: Supplied In a new development in last year’s major Standerton drug lab bust, the Hawks arrested a Durban woman after her luxury car was found with R3 million cash at the scene. Sandra Pillay, 53, appeared in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga on Wednesday, where she was granted R10 000 bail.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks) Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, based in Secunda, arrested Pillay after she handed herself over to the Standerton police on Wednesday. This followed an intensive investigation by the Hawks, in connection with the ongoing Standerton drug laboratory probe. In April 2025, theHawks raided a warehouse, farm, and house where they seized drug-manufacturing chemicals, luxury vehicles, cash, and other items worth about R48 million.

During the operation, police arrested two South Africans and five Mozambican nationals. The investigators seized 11 vehicles, including seven luxury vehicles. They also found more than R3 million in cash concealed in the boot of one of the luxury cars.

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“Investigations revealed that Pillay’s vehicle was among the luxury vehicles recovered at one of the premises allegedly used to produce final drug products,” Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said. Nkosi added that Pillay’s car was the vehicle where investigators found more than R3 million in cash. She will appear again on 23 June 2026 with her co-accused. “The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, commended the investigating team for their unwavering commitment and dedication in ensuring that all individuals linked to illegal drug manufacturing and trafficking are brought to justice,” Nkosi said.

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