ephedra tree

Methamphetamine manufacture in South Africa uses controlled substance ephedrine imported mainly as a liquid form from the ephedra tree in Afghanistan. The active ingredient for methaqualone (mandrax) is methaqualone itself. Ephedrine is imported illegally or smuggled because it is controlled and cannot be lawfully purchased without legitimate reasons such as medicine manufacturing. Smuggling occurs via misrepresentation on import documents or illegal importation.

“when it comes to methamphetamine, the controlled substance used there is ephedrine. You get plant-based ephedrine from the ephedra tree in Afghanistan and then you get the chemicals. Obviously, that is man-made or laboratory-made and that is the ephedrine as a liquid in a liquid form. And then the active ingredient of methaqualone, of mandrax, is methaqualone. ... So it means that the only way to get it into the country is by means of either misrepresentations on the import documents or smuggling activities into South Africa.”