Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered a major international drug trafficking network operating in Nigeria, arresting three Mexican nationals and several Nigerian collaborators after busting a massive clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden inside a forest in Ogun State.
The anti-narcotics agency said the operation led to the recovery of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals valued at over N480 billion, describing the discovery as the largest illicit meth laboratory ever uncovered in the country.
The forest-based laboratory, located in a remote part of Ijebu East Local Government Area, was allegedly being operated by a transnational cartel involving Mexican drug manufacturers and Nigerian traffickers.
According to the NDLEA, the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance by its Special Operations Unit, which tracked the activities of the syndicate before launching coordinated raids across Ogun and Lagos States.
Among those arrested were three Mexican nationals identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles and Torrero Juan Carlos, who were allegedly recruited to oversee the production of methamphetamine in Nigeria.
The agency also arrested several Nigerian suspects believed to be members and local coordinators of the cartel, including the alleged kingpin, Anochili Innocent.
Recovered during the operation were over 2,400 kilograms of methamphetamine, precursor chemicals, industrial solvents, vehicles and communication devices allegedly used for the illegal drug operation.
NDLEA officials said the cartel disguised the meth factory as a farm settlement deep inside the forest in an attempt to evade security detection while operating an industrial-scale narcotics production ring.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the operation as a major breakthrough against international organised crime, warning that Nigeria would not be allowed to become a safe haven for foreign drug cartels.
Security analysts say the discovery has raised fresh concerns over the growing presence of transnational criminal networks in Nigeria and the use of remote forest locations for large-scale illegal operations.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover the full network of the syndicate and identify possible international links connected to the cartel’s activities within and outside Nigeria.
