The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a large-scale methamphetamine production facility hidden in a forest in Oyo State and arrested five suspected members of a transnational drug cartel, including a Mexican national.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the operation as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing fight against illicit drug production and trafficking.
According to Marwa, the clandestine laboratory was located deep within Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State and was allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican drug syndicate.
He disclosed that NDLEA operatives stormed the facility on June 17 following intelligence reports and successfully apprehended five suspects, including a 56-year-old Mexican believed to be the cartel’s methamphetamine production expert and four Nigerian collaborators.
Marwa said the arrest highlighted the growing international dimension of drug trafficking operations in Nigeria and demonstrated the agency’s ability to detect and disrupt sophisticated criminal networks.
A forensic team later examined the facility and discovered large quantities of chemicals and equipment used in the production of methamphetamine. Recovered items included controlled chemical substances, industrial drums containing various precursor materials, acids, catalysts and other ingredients commonly used in synthetic drug manufacturing.
The agency also recovered industrial processing equipment, including a reactor pot, distillation units, mixers, condensers and drying machines used in the production process.
Preliminary tests conducted on substances recovered from the site confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, while additional samples tested positive for chemicals used in the synthesis of the illicit drug.
Marwa described the operation as the interception of a multibillion-naira drug production enterprise that could have supplied millions of doses of narcotics to local and international markets.
He noted that the discovery came just weeks after a similar methamphetamine laboratory was dismantled in Ogun State, raising concerns about attempts by drug traffickers to establish the South-West region as a hub for synthetic drug production.
The NDLEA chairman warned drug cartels that the agency would continue to pursue and dismantle their operations regardless of where they are located.
He commended officers involved in the raid for their professionalism and bravery and thanked members of the public for providing useful information that contributed to the success of the operation.
(NAN)
