Tigerkloof Farm, the infamous property located just outside Newcastle within the borders of Ingogo, has officially been auctioned off for a little over R1 million. The auction marks the end of a dark chapter for the 132-hectare farm, which was previously valued at around R1.2 million and was used as a drug laboratory.
As reported by Newcastillian News in May 2022, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in KwaZulu-Natal secured a Preservation of Property Order from the Pietermaritzburg High Court for Tigerkloof Farm. This action was taken following suspicions of illicit activities on the property.
At the time, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Kara explained that the farm came under scrutiny after the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) received a tip-off from an informant. She highlighted that in August 2019, a search operation was conducted, during which the South African Police Service Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) confirmed that exhibits found on the farm were similar to those typically found at clandestine (secretive) drug labs. Chemical analysis of these exhibits at the SAPS Pretoria FSL further revealed 25kg of methamphetamine.
To read more about the findings at the drug lab, click here.
Fast forward to 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo, spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in KwaZulu-Natal, reported that R1,003,466.90 was deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA) during the course of May 2024, following the auction of Tigerkloof Farm.
He further noted this result was achieved through the collaborative efforts of the Hawks’ Asset Forfeiture Investigation team and the National Prosecuting Authority, which secured the final forfeiture order leading to the farm’s auction.
With Tigerkloof Farm now moving past its notorious history and its elusive mastermind still at large, the community reflects on the transformation. What are your thoughts on this development?
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