May 20, (THEWILL) — The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a major transnational drug syndicate involving Nigerian and Mexican nationals, arresting a suspected drug baron, three Mexican methamphetamine experts and six Nigerian collaborators during coordinated operations in Ogun and Lagos states.
The agency also recovered methamphetamine and precursor chemicals valued at over ₦480 billion from what officials described as the largest clandestine meth laboratory ever uncovered in Nigeria.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this during a media briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Marwa said the operation, carried out by the NDLEA’s elite Special Operations Unit (SOU), followed months of painstaking intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting a sophisticated methamphetamine production network operating in Nigeria.
According to him, operatives launched simultaneous raids within 48 hours across Ogun and Lagos states, leading to the dismantling of the cartel’s operations.
The primary target was a massive clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden inside Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Marwa said the forest facility, disguised as a regular farm settlement, served as an industrial-scale methamphetamine production centre operated by the Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO).
“At the farm in the Ijebu forest, our operatives overran the clandestine laboratory, secured the perimeter and caught the syndicates completely off guard”, he stated.
He revealed that seven key members of the cartel were arrested at the forest laboratory, including three Mexican nationals allegedly brought into Nigeria specifically to provide technical expertise for meth production.
The suspects arrested at the site were identified as Nwankwo Sunday Christian, 41; Igwe Abuchi Remijus, 42; Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, 23; Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, 38; alongside Mexican nationals Martinez Felix Nemecto, 46; Jesus López Valles, 40; and Torrero Juan Carlos, 51.
Marwa said the arrests confirmed intelligence reports indicating that local drug syndicates were increasingly importing foreign specialists from Latin America to establish large-scale methamphetamine laboratories in Nigeria.
Simultaneously, another tactical team stormed the Lekki residence of the alleged cartel mastermind, Anochili Innocent, located at No. 8 Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lagos, where he was arrested.
A search conducted at the residence reportedly led to the recovery of the international passports and mobile phones belonging to the three Mexican suspects, directly linking the drug baron to their recruitment and operations in Nigeria.
The NDLEA boss further disclosed that follow-up operations on Monday led operatives to another property allegedly owned by the suspect at House 70, Close 3, Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, where another syndicate member, Kingsley Orike Omonughwa, 44, was arrested.
Investigators also raided the residence of another suspect, Emeka Nwobum, whose property was allegedly being used as the cartel’s strategic stash house.
According to Marwa, the arrests brought the total number of suspects currently in NDLEA custody to 10, including the kingpin, three Mexican specialists and six Nigerian collaborators.
Providing details of the seizures made during the operation, Marwa said the agency deployed its specialised Chemical and Forensic Team to secure and analyse the substances recovered from the laboratory.
He said operatives recovered 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical materials, including crystallised methamphetamine, liquid methamphetamine, precursor chemicals and industrial solvents.
The NDLEA chairman estimated the street value of the seizure at $362.9 million, equivalent to over ₦480 billion.
“The sheer volume of dangerous precursor chemicals, industrial solvents and finished products recovered is staggering. To put this in perspective, the 2,419.48 kilograms of finished and liquid methamphetamine seized represents millions of street doses that would have flooded our local communities and international markets, causing untold destruction, psychosis and violence”, Marwa said.
He also disclosed that operatives recovered a Toyota Tacoma vehicle allegedly used for operations at the forest laboratory, as well as a Toyota Highlander linked to the cartel leader.
Marwa noted that the latest breakthrough came barely two weeks after the agency announced the dismantling of another international drug trafficking organisation allegedly headed by Simon Amadi in a joint operation involving the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and European law enforcement agencies.
He said the successive operations sent a strong warning to international drug cartels that Nigeria would no longer serve as a safe haven for illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking.
“We are fully aware of the shifting tactics of these cartels, including the disturbing trend of hiring South American cartel specialists to set up production factories in our rural communities. 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-got wealth”, Marwa stated.
The NDLEA chairman commended the bravery and professionalism of the agency’s Special Operations Unit and forensic teams, while also appreciating the support of international partners in combating transnational organised crime.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, strange chemical odours and unusual movements in their communities.
According to him, the Ogun forest laboratory had operated under the guise of a regular farming operation in a bid to evade detection.
“This war is for the soul of our nation, and we will not back down until we achieve a drug-free Nigeria”, Marwa concluded.
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