The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has broken up a transnational drug manufacturing network operated by a Nigerian cartel in collaboration with Mexican nationals, following a major intelligence-led operation that led to 10 arrests and the recovery of narcotics valued at over ₦480bn.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), announced the development on Wednesday, May 20, during a press briefing in Abuja.
He said operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit uncovered what he described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria, located deep inside Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
According to Marwa, the operation was carried out simultaneously in Ogun and Lagos States on May 16, 2026, after months of surveillance and intelligence gathering.
He said, “Through a clinical, simultaneous operation executed by the elite operatives of our Special Operations Unit, we have successfully dismantled a sophisticated, transnational methamphetamine production syndicate run jointly by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican counterparts.
“This network did not just traffic drugs; they were actively manufacturing industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right on our soil.”
Seven suspects were arrested at the forest-based laboratory, including three Mexican nationals allegedly brought into the country to assist in production.
The Mexican suspects were identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto (46), Jesus López Valles (40), and Torrero Juan Carlos (51).
Nigerian suspects arrested at the site included Nwankwo Sunday Christian (41), Igwe Abuchi Remijus (42), Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua (23), and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor (38).
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Marwa added that follow-up operations led to the arrest of the alleged cartel leader, Anochili Innocent, at his residence in Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos.
He said items recovered from the residence, including passports and mobile phones belonging to the Mexican suspects, linked the suspect directly to their operations in Nigeria.
Further raids on May 18 resulted in the arrest of Kingsley Orike Omonughwa (44), while another suspect, Emeka Nwobum, was apprehended at a separate stash location connected to the syndicate.
In total, the NDLEA confirmed that 10 suspects were arrested in connection with the network.
The agency also said it recovered 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals during the operation.
“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 N480bn,” Marwa said.
He added that the seizure represented millions of potential street doses that could have flooded communities locally and abroad.
Marwa warned that drug cartels were increasingly adopting sophisticated tactics, including bringing in foreign specialists to establish clandestine laboratories in rural areas.
He urged residents to remain alert and report suspicious activity, noting that the forest facility had been disguised as a normal farm.