The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major transnational methamphetamine syndicate involving Nigerian and Mexican nationals, leading to the arrest of a suspected drug kingpin, three Mexican nationals and six Nigerian accomplices in coordinated operations carried out across Ogun and Lagos states.
The agency said the operation led to the discovery of what it described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever uncovered in Nigeria. The illegal drug facility was reportedly hidden deep inside the Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the breakthrough came after months of intelligence gathering and carefully planned simultaneous operations conducted within a 48-hour period.
“Today, I am proud to announce that the NDLEA has struck another crippling blow to the heart of transnational organized crime,” Marwa stated.
“Through a clinical, simultaneous operation executed by the elite operatives of our Special Operations Unit (SOU), we have successfully dismantled a sophisticated, transnational methamphetamine production syndicate run jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican counterparts.”
According to the NDLEA boss, the forest laboratory was allegedly being operated by the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organization.
“Among those arrested are three (3) Mexican nationals brought into the country specifically to cook this deadly substance, alongside four (4) Nigerian collaborators,” he added.
The Mexican suspects arrested during the operation were identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles and Torrero Juan Carlos.
Marwa disclosed that operatives later arrested the alleged drug kingpin, Anochili Innocent, at his residence located in Lakowe area of Lekki, Lagos State.
During the operation at the residence, NDLEA officials reportedly recovered the international passports and mobile phones belonging to the Mexican suspects, further linking the group to the illicit operation.
The anti-narcotics agency also confirmed that two additional Nigerian suspects were later apprehended, increasing the total number of individuals currently in custody to 10.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the agency recovered approximately 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals with an estimated international street value of $362.9 million, which translates to over N480 billion.
“The operation yielded a massive 2,419.48 kilograms (over 2.4 tons) of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile, and crystallized methamphetamine worth Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand Dollars ($362,922,000.00) in the international market. This translates to over Four Hundred and Eighty Billion Naira (N480,000,000,000.00),” Marwa said.
He warned drug traffickers and criminal syndicates that the agency would continue to intensify its operations across the country.
“Let it be known that no matter how deep into the bush you hide, no matter how secure your gated estate is, the NDLEA will hunt you down, disrupt your networks, and seize your ill-gotten wealth,” he declared.
Marwa also appealed to Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities within their communities, revealing that the illegal meth laboratory had been disguised as a regular farming settlement to avoid detection.
“This war is for the soul of our nation, and we will not back down until we achieve a drug-free Nigeria,” he added.
The operation is considered one of the largest anti-drug crackdowns in recent years and highlights growing concerns over the activities of international drug trafficking syndicates operating within West Africa.
What you should know
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive synthetic drug often linked to organized crime, violence, and severe public health problems globally.
Nigerian authorities have in recent years intensified efforts to dismantle clandestine drug laboratories and disrupt international trafficking networks operating within the country.
The involvement of Mexican nationals in the latest NDLEA operation highlights the increasing international dimension of drug production and trafficking activities in Nigeria.
Security experts have repeatedly warned that criminal syndicates often hide illegal laboratories in remote forests and rural areas to evade detection.
The NDLEA says the latest operation represents one of the biggest seizures and laboratory discoveries in Nigeria’s anti-narcotics history.
