THE bail application for two of five suspects linked to a R2 billion clandestine drug laboratory in Limpopo has been denied in the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court.
Gonzales Jorge Partida, 51, Gutierrez Lopes, 43, Melvin Khumalo, 34, Roelof Botha, 57, and Rodriguez Ruban Vidan, 44, appeared before the court charged with manufacturing, dealing and possession of drugs.
Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Limpopo regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), said the group of men also face charges money laundering.
The NPA previously stated that two of the five accused – Botha and Khumalo, both South African nationals – were seeking bail after their co-accused, who are Mexican nationals, had abandoned the bid for freedom.
“The arrests were made on July 19, 2024 at a farm owned by accused Roelof Botha in Loskop…