The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden inside a forest in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican national and four Nigerian collaborators.
The operation, described by the agency as intelligence-driven, targeted a transnational drug cartel operating within Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, said the laboratory was operated by a Nigerian–Mexican drug network concealed deep within the forest.
He was represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who confirmed that five suspects were arrested during the raid carried out on June 17.
Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican chemist, allegedly brought in to oversee meth production, alongside four Nigerian accomplices responsible for logistics and operations.
According to the NDLEA, the forest-based facility was a fully equipped industrial meth production site with advanced chemical processing systems.
Forensic teams later recovered a large cache of precursor chemicals and equipment used in drug manufacturing.
Items seized included Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, ethyl phenylacetate, and multiple industrial-grade containers and drums.
The agency also recovered reactors, distillation units, mixers, condensers, and drying machines used for crystallisation of methamphetamine.
NDLEA forensic analysis confirmed that samples taken from the site tested positive for methamphetamine and precursor substances.
The agency described the laboratory as a “factory-scale drug production hub” capable of generating millions of doses for both local and international distribution.
All seized materials, it said, have been documented and secured for prosecution.
NDLEA Chairman, Buba Marwa, said the discovery highlights a growing attempt by drug syndicates to turn Nigeria’s South-West region into a synthetic drug hub.
He noted that the operation followed a similar bust in Ijebu East, Ogun State, barely weeks earlier.
Marwa warned that Nigeria would not serve as a safe haven for international drug cartels, vowing continued crackdown operations across the country.
The NDLEA said its operations are expanding across forests, rural settlements, and urban centres as part of efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks.
It also commended the public for providing intelligence that assisted in the successful raid.
