The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a sophisticated Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate, arresting 10 suspects and seizing meth worth over N480 billion in Ogun State.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, described the operation as a major blow to transnational organized crime. Elite operatives from the agency’s Special Operations Unit (SOU) shut down an industrial-scale clandestine laboratory hidden in a remote forest in the Ijebu area of Ogun.
“The cartel’s kingpin was arrested alongside three Mexican technical experts and six top Nigerian collaborators,” Marwa said. He explained that months of intelligence gathering led to coordinated strikes across Ogun and Lagos States within 48 hours on May 16.
The operation targeted the syndicate’s primary lab at Abidagba forest in Ijebu East LGA and a luxury residence in Lekki, Lagos. A follow-up raid at another property in Mayfair Estate, Lekki, resulted in the arrest of an additional key member.
The NDLEA recovered 2,419.48 kilograms (over 2.4 tons) of methamphetamine, including highly toxic chemicals, solvents, and crystallized finished products, valued at $362.9 million internationally. Vehicles used for operations, including a Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Highlander, were also seized.
Marwa emphasized the severity of the syndicate’s threat to public health and security. “These quantities represent millions of street doses that would have fueled addiction, psychosis, and crime,” he said.
The operation, following the recent takedown of the Simon Amadi cartel, highlights NDLEA’s commitment to disrupting transnational drug networks. Marwa warned that Nigerian territory remains hostile to drug cartels and pledged continued pursuit of criminal elements.
He praised international partners for their support and lauded NDLEA operatives for their professionalism. “This forest lab operated under the guise of a legitimate farm. Citizens must remain vigilant and report suspicious activity. The war on drugs is for the soul of our nation,” he said.
