The building raided last year was used as a storage facility for illicit drug producing material.
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MORE than one year after police found over R3,6 million stashed in the boot of her car during a drug lab raid, a Durban woman has handed herself over to the Hawks.
Sandra Pillay, 53, has allegedly been linked to a multimillion-rand drug operation in Standerton, which police raided last year.
Although she is not believed to be the kingpin of the operation, the Hawks believe that once they make more arrests, her role in the operation will be revealed.
Pillay was arrested last Wednesday following an intensive investigation by the Hawks in Secunda.
She was granted bail of R10,000 in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
“Her arrest follows the discovery of a clandestine drug laboratory in Standerton, where authorities arrested two South African nationals and five Mozambican nationals in April last year,” said Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga.
He said during the operation, investigators also seized 11 vehicles, including seven luxury vehicles, and more than R3 million in cash concealed in the boot of one of the luxury vehicles.
At the time, the Hawks said a search warrant was obtained, and large quantities of liquid chemicals in drums, powder chemicals in sacks, machinery and equipment were found at the building.
The building was used as a storage facility for illicit drug-producing material.
Police reports indicated that a tablet pressing machine, a disassembled machine worth over R2 million, a petrol generator and 20-litre buckets full of finished powder products valued at over R28 million, were found on the premises.
“Five suspects were arrested during the operation. Police then began tracing the owners of the vehicles. This led to Pillay’s arrest last week,” Nkosi confirmed.
He said one of the suspects, a South African man, died last year after he was released on bail.
“We are still investigating the matter. The drug lab was a big operation. The operation involves a lot of people from all over the country.
“We cannot confirm or single out Pillay as the kingpin of the operation, but in order for us to know who the kingpin is, we need to unearth who played what role in the operation,” Nkosi added.
He said Pillay’s vehicle was just one of the vehicles which were parked at the drug lab, and investigations were intensifying.
He said the Hawks anticipate more arrests soon, from Durban and other parts of the country.
Pillay is expected to reappear in the Standerton Magistrate’s Court next month with her co-accused.