The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has uncovered and dismantled an industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory concealed in a forest in Oyo State, leading to the arrest of a Mexican national and four Nigerians allegedly linked to the operation.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the agency through its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
According to the statement, the clandestine drug facility was discovered on June 17, 2026, at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State during a special operation carried out by NDLEA tactical operatives.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the laboratory as a sophisticated and heavily fortified facility allegedly operated by a transnational drug cartel with the capacity for large-scale production of methamphetamine.
Marwa disclosed that five suspected members of the syndicate were arrested during the raid, including a 56 years old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was alleged to have been brought into Nigeria to provide technical expertise for methamphetamine production.
Other suspects arrested were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30 years old, Olatunji Yusuf, 37 years old, Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45 years old and Ganiu Monsiu, 43 years old.
According to the NDLEA chairman, the arrest of the foreign suspect highlights what the agency described as the increasing transnational dimension of illicit drug production and trafficking activities in Nigeria.
“The facility was a highly fortified and sophisticated clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operated by a transnational drug cartel,” Marwa stated.
The agency further disclosed that following the operation, officials from its Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring visited the site on June 18 to conduct a detailed forensic examination of the laboratory and surrounding area.
The NDLEA said investigations into the operation and activities of the suspected syndicate are ongoing.
