The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a large-scale methamphetamine production facility hidden within a forest in Oyo State and arrested a Mexican national alongside four Nigerian suspects allegedly involved in the illicit operation.
The agency disclosed the development in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the clandestine laboratory was uncovered on June 17, 2026, during a special operation conducted by NDLEA tactical operatives at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), described the facility as a sophisticated and heavily secured methamphetamine laboratory allegedly run by an international drug trafficking network.
Marwa revealed that five suspects were apprehended during the operation, including a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was reportedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the production of methamphetamine.
The other suspects were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
According to the NDLEA boss, the involvement of a foreign national underscores the growing international dimension of drug manufacturing and trafficking activities in Nigeria.
“The facility was a highly fortified and sophisticated clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operated by a transnational drug cartel,” Marwa stated.
He added that following the raid, officials from the agency’s Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring visited the site on June 18 to carry out a comprehensive forensic assessment of the laboratory and its surroundings.
The NDLEA said investigations are ongoing to unravel the full scope of the operation and identify other members of the suspected drug syndicate.
The agency reiterated its commitment to intensifying efforts against illicit drug production and trafficking across the country.
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