The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raided and destroyed a heavily fortified, large-scale methamphetamine production facility hidden in a forest in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican technical expert and four Nigerians in the process.
The clandestine laboratory, located in Tapa Village within Ibarapa North Local Government Area, was described by the agency as a sophisticated transnational operation equipped for high-volume production of the illicit drug for both local and international markets.
NDLEA operatives stormed the hideout on June 17, leading to the arrest of five suspects: 56-year-old Mexican national Jose Villa Ochoa, believed to have been imported to provide expertise in large-scale methamphetamine synthesis, along with Nigerians Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by Director of Media and Advocacy Femi Babafemi, said the raid struck a significant blow to an international drug syndicate. Forensic examination of the site uncovered an extensive array of precursor chemicals and industrial equipment.
Items recovered included large quantities of Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, thioglycolic acid, ethyl phenylacetate, and other substances essential for methamphetamine production. Authorities also seized sophisticated machinery such as reactor pots, distillation units, mixers, condensers, and industrial dehydrators. Field tests confirmed the presence of methamphetamine crystals and precursor chemicals.
Marwa described the operation as another multi-billion-naira investment by drug cartels aimed at turning Nigeria into a manufacturing hub for synthetic drugs. The bust comes barely four weeks after a similar large-scale meth laboratory was dismantled in neighbouring Ogun State, raising concerns about the South-West region emerging as a preferred base for such illicit activities.
“The arrest of a foreign methamphetamine specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the increasingly transnational nature of this threat,” Marwa said, while commending officers of the Oyo State Command for their professionalism.
He issued a strong warning to both local and international drug syndicates: “Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade. We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.”
All exhibits have been documented and preserved for prosecution. The NDLEA urged Nigerians to continue providing timely intelligence to support ongoing efforts against the rising threat of synthetic drug production, which poses serious risks to public health, security, and regional stability.
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