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Mozambique's National Criminal Investigation Service (SERNIC) has dismantled a clandestine drug manufacturing facility in the Magoanine B neighbourhood of Maputo, seizing various pieces of equipment and chemicals used in the processing of illegal substances. The operation led to the arrest of a Mozambican national identified as the tenant of the property where the illegal facility was operating.
The information was disclosed on Saturday, 24 October, by SERNIC spokesperson Hilário Lole, who explained that the clandestine operation was based inside a residential property used for processing and packaging drugs.
During the operation, officers seized significant quantities of acids and other chemicals considered hazardous to health, along with equipment associated with drug production.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue to determine the scale of the activities carried out at the property and establish whether other individuals were involved.
According to reports published by local media, the detainee is 40 years old and claimed to have lived at the property for approximately three years. He denied any involvement in drug manufacturing, alleging that the seized materials belonged to an acquaintance living in South Africa who had asked him to store them approximately two years earlier.
SERNIC is also investigating the possible involvement of other individuals, including two Nigerian nationals suspected of being part of an alleged network linked to the activities conducted at the property.
The operation comes amid growing concerns over substance-related health problems in Mozambique. Data from the Ministry of Health indicate that, during the first half of 2026, at least 17,783 people received medical assistance for mental and behavioural disorders associated with psychoactive substance use, representing a 58.6% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
According to Salma Iuraimadam, a representative of the Ministry of Health, the use of multiple substances accounted for 7,372 medical consultations, followed by alcohol with 5,469 cases, cannabinoids with 1,502 cases and opioids with 1,100 cases. People aged between 21 and 35 continue to account for the highest number of cases.
Authorities are continuing their investigations to establish how the clandestine facility operated, identify potential accomplices and determine the origin and intended destination of the substances produced at the site.
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