The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the dismantling of the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria. This significant operation involved the arrest of an alleged Nigerian drug kingpin, three Mexican nationals, and six Nigerian collaborators during coordinated raids across Ogun and Lagos states.

According to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, the operation was executed by operatives of its Special Operations Unit (SOU). It led to the discovery of an industrial-scale methamphetamine production facility hidden within a forest in the Ijebu area of Ogun State, along with the seizure of over 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and related chemicals. NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Marwa, revealed at a media briefing in Abuja that the operation was the culmination of months of meticulous intelligence gathering and surveillance. The raids were conducted simultaneously in Ogun and Lagos within a 48-hour window.

Mr. Marwa emphasized the significance of this achievement, stating, “Today, I am proud to announce that the NDLEA has struck another crippling blow to the heart of transnational organised crime.” He highlighted that the agency, through its elite Special Operations Unit, successfully dismantled a sophisticated, transnational methamphetamine production syndicate jointly run by a Nigerian drug cartel and their Mexican counterparts.

The primary target of the operation was a remote property in Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, which served as the clandestine methamphetamine production site for a syndicate identified as the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation. Simultaneously, another team raided a residence at Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos, where the alleged leader of the cartel, Anochili Innocent, was apprehended.

At the forest laboratory, seven suspects were arrested. These included three Mexican nationals, identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto (46), Jesus López Valles (40), and Torrero Juan Carlos (51), who were allegedly brought into Nigeria specifically for methamphetamine production. The Nigerian suspects apprehended at the facility were Nwankwo Sunday Christian (41), Igwe Abuchi Remijus (42), Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua (23), and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor (38). A search of the Lekki residence of the alleged kingpin, Anochili Innocent, further linked him to the foreign suspects through the recovery of the Mexicans' passports and mobile phones. Subsequent follow-up operations led to the arrest of Kingsley Orike Omonughwa (44) at another property in Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, and a raid on the residence of syndicate member Emeka Nwobum, which was reportedly used as a stash house. These arrests brought the total number of suspects in custody to 10.

Providing details on the seized items, Mr. Marwa stated that operatives recovered a massive 2,419.48 kilograms (over 2.4 tons) of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile, and crystallized methamphetamine. This haul has an estimated international street value of $362.9 million, translating to over N480 billion. The agency also recovered a Toyota Tacoma vehicle allegedly used at the forest laboratory and a Toyota Highlander linked to the alleged cartel leader.

Mr. Marwa issued a stern warning that the NDLEA would continue to relentlessly target drug syndicates operating both within and outside Nigeria. He acknowledged the evolving tactics of these cartels, including the disturbing trend of hiring South American cartel specialists to establish production factories in rural communities. He reiterated the agency's resolve: “Let it be known that no matter how deep into the bush you hide, no matter how secure your gated estate is, the NDLEA will hunt you down, disrupt your networks, and seize your ill-gotten wealth.” He also urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities in their communities, noting that the Ogun forest laboratory had operated under the guise of a regular farm. The NDLEA chairman commended the agency’s operatives and international partners for their crucial support in this monumental operation.

This is not the first instance of Mexicans being arrested in connection with methamphetamine production in Nigeria. In 2016, the NDLEA busted a similar clandestine laboratory in Asaba, Delta State, arresting four Mexicans – Cervantos Bruno, Rivas Pstiano, Castillo Ctistobal, and Patida Pedro – alongside their Nigerian conspirators. These individuals were also linked to a larger drug trafficking organization producing methamphetamine.

However, the prosecution of the 2016 suspects faced significant challenges. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Federal High Court judge in Asaba, Okon Abang, sternly rebuked the NDLEA in his December 2022 judgment for entering into a plea bargain agreement with the drug barons that proposed a soft punishment. Despite the initial charges carrying sentences of 15 to 25 years, the NDLEA struck a deal for a 10-year sentence that would be backdated to 2016, effectively reducing their actual jail time by the six years already spent in detention. Incensed by this