The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a sophisticated transnational methamphetamine production syndicate operated jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and Mexican collaborators, arresting 10 suspects and seizing illicit drugs valued at over N480 billion.
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this during a media briefing at the agency's headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Marwa, operatives of the agency's Special Operations Unit carried out coordinated simultaneous raids across Ogun and Lagos states on May 16, 2026, following months of painstaking intelligence gathering.
The primary target was a massive clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in Abidagba forest, in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State. Marwa described the facility as the largest methamphetamine laboratory ever uncovered in Nigeria.
"This network did not just traffic drugs; they were actively manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right on our soil, threatening national security and public health," Marwa stated.
At the forest laboratory, operatives arrested seven key members of the cartel, including three Mexican nationals allegedly brought into Nigeria specifically to provide technical expertise for methamphetamine production.
The suspects arrested at the site include: Martinez Felix Nemecto, 46 (Mexican), Jesus López Valles, 40 (Mexican), Torrero Juan Carlos, 51 (Mexican), Nwankwo Sunday Christian, 41, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, 42, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, 23, Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, 38.
Simultaneously, another tactical team stormed the luxury residence of the alleged cartel mastermind, Anochili Innocent, located at No. 8 Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos, where he was arrested.
A search of the premises led to the recovery of the international passports and mobile phones of the three Mexican suspects, directly linking the drug baron to their importation and coordination in Nigeria.
Relentless follow-up operations on May 18 led NDLEA operatives to another property owned by the baron at Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, where another syndicate member, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, 44, was arrested.
Investigators also raided the residence of another syndicate member, Emeka Nwobum, whose property allegedly served as the cartel's stash house.
The arrests bring the total number of suspects currently in NDLEA custody to 10, comprising the kingpin, three Mexican specialists, and six Nigerian collaborators.
Marwa revealed that the operation yielded 2,419.48 kilograms (over 2.4 tonnes) of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals, including highly toxic industrial solvents and crystallised methamphetamine.
"The operation yielded a massive 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile, and crystallised methamphetamine worth $362,922,000 in the international market. This translates to over N480 billion," the NDLEA chairman stated.
Items recovered from the cartel include a Toyota Tacoma vehicle used for operations at the clandestine laboratory and a Toyota Highlander seized from the kingpin's residence.
Marwa issued a stern warning to drug trafficking organisations operating in Nigeria, declaring that the country will no longer serve as a safe haven for international drug syndicates.
"We are fully aware of the shifting tactics of these cartels, including the disturbing trend of hiring South American cartel specialists to set up production factories in our rural communities," Marwa warned.
"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".
The NDLEA boss noted that this operation comes barely two weeks after the agency announced the successful takedown of another high-profile drug trafficking organisation headed by Simon Amadi in a complex, multi-country operation involving the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, especially unusual chemical odours or movements in rural communities, noting that the methamphetamine factory in Ogun State was disguised as a regular farm.