Notorious Mexican drug cartels extend reach into South Africa
In July, two Mexicans were arrested when police swooped on a drug lab worth R2 billion in Limpopo.
Drugs / Pexels: Mart Production 7230226
John Perlman chats to Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, Julian Rademeyer on the surfacing of Mexican cartels on South African shores.
Listen below
Sinaloa and Jalisco.
If those names are unfamiliar to you, then that's likely because you're not operating in the right circles.
Criminal circles.
Both are notorious Mexican drug cartels and according to reports, they've begun expanding their operations to include South Africa.
Rademeyer says the arrival of Mexican cartels on our shores was largely foreseeable.
Adding that some of the smaller cartels have been present on the continent for at least 20 years.
"Predominately in Nigeria, with some legs into countries like Ghana, Mali, Senegal, to some degree Mozambique.
Julian Rademeyer, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime
"South Africa has an enormously high consumption of meth, or tik as we know it locally, so it makes sense for the Mexican cartels to move closer to the consumers."
Julian Rademeyer, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime
Rademeyer says the first large meth laboratory outside of South Africa was seized in Nigeria in 2011 and involved a group from Latin America.
Similarly, busts at labs in Nigeria in 2016 were being overseen by Mexican nationals linked to criminal cartels.
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The likely modus operandi of these cartels is both to take over local drug syndicates and also to partner with local drug lords, says Rademeyer.
"It's a combination of both of those.I think what's happened with increasing pressure ramping up in Mexico by the US...the cartels have made a significant effort to offshore their productions...it's a globalisation of these meth cartels."
Julian Rademeyer, Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime
In July, two Mexicans were arrested when police swooped on a drug lab worth R2 billion in Limpopo.
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