Mexican Drug Cartel Busted in Nigerian Forest: NDLEA Uncovers ₦480 Billion Meth Lab in Ogun, Arrests Mexican “Cooks”

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded one of the biggest anti-drug breakthroughs in Nigeria’s history after dismantling a sprawling transnational methamphetamine syndicate operating from a hidden forest laboratory in Ogun State.

The agency announced on Wednesday that operatives from its elite Special Operations Unit (SOU) uncovered what authorities described as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria, concealed deep inside the Abidagba forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area near Ijebu Ode.

During the high-risk operation, NDLEA officers seized methamphetamine and precursor chemicals estimated to be worth approximately ₦480 billion, dealing a devastating blow to an international drug network allegedly run by Nigerian cartel leaders in collaboration with Mexican drug experts.

According to officials, the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and surveillance before agents launched coordinated raids on the forest camp and linked luxury properties in Lagos.

Ten suspects were arrested during the crackdown, including the alleged kingpin of the notorious Anochili Innocent Drug Trafficking Organisation (DTO) and three Mexican nationals reportedly brought into Nigeria to serve as technical methamphetamine “cooks.”

Among those arrested at the forest laboratory were four Nigerians identified as:

• Nwankwo Sunday Christian (41)
• Igwe Abuchi Remijus (42)
• Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua (23)
• Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor (38)

The foreign suspects arrested include:

• Martinez Felix Nemecto (46)
• Jesus López Valles (40)
• Torrero Juan Carlos (51)

Investigators said additional arrests were made during a simultaneous raid on a luxury residence located at No. 8 Tafawa Balewa Street, Golf Estate, Lakowe, Lekki, Lagos, where alleged cartel leader Anochili Innocent was apprehended.

Security operatives reportedly recovered the Mexican suspects’ international passports, mobile phones, and several incriminating materials from the Lekki property, directly linking the cartel boss to the importation and coordination of the foreign methamphetamine experts.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the operation as a landmark victory against organised international drug trafficking.

He stated that the agency successfully dismantled a sophisticated criminal enterprise jointly operated by Nigerian traffickers and their Mexican counterparts.

Marwa warned both local and international drug cartels that Nigeria is no longer a safe operational base for narcotics production, promising sustained aggressive enforcement operations nationwide.

The massive bust has once again highlighted the growing international dimension of West Africa’s drug trade, with foreign criminal syndicates increasingly collaborating with local networks to establish industrial-scale narcotics production hubs within the region.

Security experts say the involvement of Mexican methamphetamine specialists signals a dangerous evolution in Nigeria’s illicit drug market — shifting from transit trafficking to large-scale domestic production capable of supplying international markets.

The operation comes amid intensified NDLEA crackdowns targeting high-profile narcotics syndicates, money laundering operations, and cross-border criminal networks across the country.

Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing and all suspects will be formally charged in court in accordance with Nigerian law. The suspects remain presumed innocent until proven guilty.