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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded what officials described as one of the biggest anti-narcotics breakthroughs in Nigeria’s history, dismantling a transnational Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartel and recovering illicit drugs and precursor chemicals valued at over N480 billion.
The operation, which led to the arrest of a suspected drug baron, three Mexican methamphetamine specialists, and six Nigerian collaborators, also uncovered what authorities said is the largest clandestine meth laboratory ever discovered in the country, hidden deep inside a forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Addressing journalists at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and coordinated tactical surveillance across Ogun and Lagos states.
According to him, elite operatives from the agency’s Special Operations Unit launched simultaneous strikes within 48 hours, targeting both the forest laboratory and luxury residences linked to the cartel’s alleged mastermind, identified as Anochili Innocent. 
Marwa disclosed that the primary operation took place at Abidagba forest in Ogun State, where operatives stormed the hidden meth production facility and arrested seven suspects allegedly processing illicit substances.
Among those apprehended were three Mexican nationals said to have been brought into Nigeria specifically to manufacture methamphetamine for the cartel. The foreign suspects were identified as Martinez Felix Nemecto, Jesus López Valles, and Torrero Juan Carlos.
Four Nigerians arrested at the scene included Nwankwo Sunday Christian, Igwe Abuchi Remijus, Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor.
Simultaneously, another NDLEA tactical squad reportedly raided a luxury residence at Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos, where the suspected cartel leader, Anochili Innocent, was arrested.
Marwa said a search conducted at the residence uncovered the passports and mobile phones of the Mexican nationals, which investigators believe directly linked the suspect to the recruitment and management of the foreign drug experts.
The NDLEA boss further revealed that follow-up operations led operatives to another property in Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, where another suspect, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, was apprehended. Investigators also raided the residence of another alleged syndicate member, Emeka Nwobum, believed to have operated a strategic stash house for the cartel.
The arrests bring the total number of suspects currently in custody to 10.
Providing details of the seizure, Marwa disclosed that the agency recovered over 2,419 kilograms of crystallised methamphetamine, precursor chemicals, and industrial solvents from the clandestine facility.
He estimated the international street value of the recovered substances at about $362.9 million, equivalent to more than N480 billion.
The agency also recovered operational vehicles allegedly used by the syndicate, including a Toyota Tacoma linked to activities at the forest laboratory and a Toyota Highlander seized from the residence of the suspected kingpin.
Marwa warned that Nigeria would no longer serve as a safe haven for international drug cartels, stressing that the NDLEA had intensified efforts to track and dismantle criminal networks attempting to establish drug production factories in rural communities.
He said the latest operation, coming shortly after the recent takedown of another international drug syndicate allegedly led by Simon Amadi, sends a strong warning to drug traffickers and manufacturers operating within and outside Nigeria.
The NDLEA chairman accused criminal organisations of increasingly importing foreign technical expertise from South America and other regions to establish meth laboratories in Nigeria, but vowed that the agency would continue to hunt down those involved regardless of their location or influence.
Marwa commended the professionalism and bravery of the NDLEA Special Operations Unit and the agency’s Chemical and Forensic Team for the successful operation, while also appreciating international law enforcement partners for their continued support.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, especially in isolated communities and forested areas, noting that the Ogun laboratory had operated under the cover of a legitimate farm.
“This war is for the soul of our nation, and we will not back down until we achieve a drug-free Nigeria,” he declared.
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