The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded another major breakthrough in its fight against drug trafficking and illegal drug production with the discovery of a large-scale methamphetamine laboratory hidden inside a forest in Oyo State.
The operation led to the arrest of five suspects, including a Mexican national believed to be a specialist in the production of methamphetamine, commonly known as meth.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed the development on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja.
Marwa described the operation as a significant victory against international and local drug syndicates seeking to establish manufacturing bases in Nigeria.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA chairman said the clandestine laboratory was uncovered during a carefully planned operation carried out on June 17 in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
According to him, the raid followed credible intelligence gathered by the agency regarding suspicious activities taking place deep inside the forest.
The NDLEA boss said operatives stormed the location and discovered what he described as a sophisticated industrial-scale methamphetamine production facility.
“Today, we are proud to announce that our operatives, acting on credible intelligence, have struck another decisive blow deeper into the heart of yet another cartel,” Marwa said.
“Tactical operatives of the NDLEA stormed the highly fortified industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operating deep within the forest of Tapa Village. This is not a rudimentary set-up; it was a sophisticated, highly organised transnational syndicate.”
Among those arrested was 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who investigators believe was brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for the operation.
The other suspects arrested during the raid were identified as Maxwell Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
According to Marwa, the arrest of a foreign expert highlights the international nature of the drug trade and the growing efforts by transnational criminal groups to establish drug manufacturing operations in Nigeria.
“The arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of this threat, but more importantly, it underscores our agency’s intelligence capability to track, intercept and neutralise them,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman disclosed that forensic experts deployed to the scene after the operation discovered what amounted to a factory-level drug production centre equipped with chemicals, industrial machines and processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
According to him, the laboratory contained large quantities of precursor chemicals required for meth production.
Among the substances recovered were drums of phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), a highly controlled chemical used in methamphetamine production, and large volumes of phenylacetic acid, another key ingredient in the drug manufacturing process.
Operatives also recovered several drums containing substances suspected to be methamphetamine at different stages of production.
Other materials found at the site included more than 100 bags of caustic soda, multiple containers of sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, ethyl phenylacetate, thioglycolic acid and several cartons of aluminium foil.
The NDLEA said the sheer quantity of chemicals discovered showed that the syndicate was operating on a large commercial scale.
Investigators also found sophisticated processing equipment used in the production of synthetic drugs.
The recovered equipment included a reactor pot used for chemical synthesis, mounted distillation units, mixers, condensers and industrial drying machines designed to speed up the production process.
Marwa described the laboratory as a fully operational facility capable of producing large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution within Nigeria and beyond.
According to him, immediate field tests conducted by NDLEA forensic experts confirmed that some of the substances recovered were indeed methamphetamine.
“Samples of the finished crystals recovered yielded a definitive positive result for methamphetamine,” he said.
He added that all materials recovered from the laboratory had been carefully documented and preserved for use as evidence in court.
The NDLEA chairman warned that the operation prevented a huge quantity of dangerous drugs from reaching communities across Nigeria and other countries.
“This is yet another multi-billion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, our communities and the international community, but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers,” he said.
Methamphetamine is a highly addictive synthetic drug known for its severe health consequences. Medical experts warn that prolonged use can cause mental illness, violent behaviour, organ damage and addiction.
The drug has become a growing concern for law enforcement agencies worldwide because of its impact on public health and security.
In recent years, Nigeria has increasingly become a target for international drug syndicates seeking to establish production and transit routes across West Africa.
The NDLEA has intensified efforts to dismantle such networks through intelligence gathering, surveillance and coordinated enforcement operations.
Marwa noted that the latest discovery came barely one month after another major methamphetamine laboratory was uncovered in Ogun State.
In that operation, NDLEA operatives raided a forest location in the Ijebu area and dismantled another industrial-scale drug production facility.
The Ogun operation resulted in the seizure of more than 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals, while three Mexican nationals and four Nigerians were arrested.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the two discoveries suggest that drug cartels are making deliberate attempts to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in Nigeria’s South-West region.
“The proximity of this discovery to the Ogun State lab uncovered about four weeks ago reveals a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the South-West axis,” he said.
“They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were indeed very wrong.”
Marwa sent a strong warning to both local and foreign drug traffickers, declaring that Nigeria would not become a safe haven for criminal drug operations.
“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not and will never be a safe haven for your illicit trade,” he said.
“We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.”
The NDLEA boss praised officers involved in the operation, especially personnel of the Oyo State Command, for their professionalism, courage and dedication.
He also commended members of the public whose information helped the agency identify and locate the illegal laboratory.
According to him, public cooperation remains vital in the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime.
“To the Nigerian public, we say thank you for your cooperation, your trust and credible information. Together, we are securing the future of our nation,” he said.
The latest operation further strengthens the NDLEA’s ongoing campaign against drug cartels and underscores the agency’s determination to prevent Nigeria from becoming a major centre for the production and distribution of synthetic drugs.