The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled another industrial scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden deep within a forest in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, dealing a major blow to a transnational drug trafficking network operating in Nigeria.
The operation, carried out by NDLEA operatives following weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance, led to the arrest of five suspects, including a Mexican national identified as Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine.
According to the agency, the illicit facility was operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel and was strategically located in a remote forest area to evade detection by law enforcement authorities.
The NDLEA said the laboratory was equipped with sophisticated machinery and chemical processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine, commonly known as “meth.”
During the raid, operatives recovered substantial quantities of precursor chemicals and production materials, including Phenyl-2-Propanone (P2P), sulphuric acid, phenylacetic acid, tartaric acid, caustic soda and other substances used in the illicit production of synthetic drugs.
Other suspects arrested in connection with the operation were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu.
Preliminary forensic examinations conducted by NDLEA experts reportedly confirmed that the facility was actively engaged in the production of methamphetamine, with investigators recovering processed drug samples and evidence of ongoing manufacturing activities.
Speaking on the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the discovery as a significant breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing campaign against drug trafficking and organized crime.
Marwa noted that the operation underscores the growing collaboration between local and international criminal networks involved in the manufacture and distribution of illicit drugs.
He warned that Nigeria would not be allowed to become a production hub for synthetic narcotics and assured that the agency would continue to intensify intelligence-led operations across the country.
The NDLEA boss commended officers involved in the raid for their professionalism and resilience, stressing that the agency remains committed to disrupting drug cartels and safeguarding communities from the devastating effects of illicit substances.
The latest discovery comes just weeks after another methamphetamine laboratory was uncovered and dismantled in a forested area of Ogun State, raising fresh concerns over attempts by criminal syndicates to establish clandestine drug production facilities in remote locations across the South-West region.
The suspects are expected to face prosecution upon the conclusion of investigations.
