Drug busts have become a common occurrence in South Africa, raising the question: Is the police’s Operation Shanela bearing fruit? Are communities tipping police more often now, or is there a rise in these activities? On 26 June 2025, the South African Police Service (Saps) launched Operation Shanela II, a nationwide operation targeting serious and violent crime in crime hotspots across the nine provinces.
According to Saps, the operation is aimed at enhancing operational efficiency through employing advanced strategies, technologies and deployment of additional resources in directly responding to the crime trends and patterns. In September and October alone, police uncovered drugs worth millions in different areas and arrested several suspects. On 19 September 2025, police in Mpumalanga dismantled a clandestine crystal methamphetamine laboratory worth an estimated R350 million and arrested five foreign nationals on a farm in Volksrust.
Police acted swiftly after receiving a tip-off about suspicious activities on a farm in Oudehoutkloof, Volksrust. The informant reported a strange chemical smell emanating from the premises, which raised suspicions of illicit drug manufacturing. The intelligence was operationalised as part of Operation Shanela 2.
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Upon arrival, officers found the gates locked. The suspects, on noticing the police, attempted to flee on foot but were quickly apprehended. Five foreign nationals from a North American country were arrested, and two other suspects – believed to be from West African countries – managed to evade arrest by fleeing into nearby bushes. On 30 September 2025, a truck was stopped and searched on the N1 near the Huguenot Tunnel at approximately 7pm.
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