Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled a fortified industrial-scale secret methamphetamine laboratory operated by a Nigerian-Mexican cartel in a forest in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Council of Oyo State.
During the raid, NDLEA operatives successfully arrested five key members of the cartel on-site. They include a 56-year-old Mexican Methamphetamine expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly brought in specifically to provide technical expertise for large-scale synthesis.
The others are four Nigerian collaborators, Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43, who provide logistical support, cover and local operations.
Briefing newsmen on the development on Tuesday at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the gallantry, dedication and clinical professionalism of the officers involved in the operation.
Marwa, who was represented by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that the NDLEA tactical operatives raided the “highly fortified, industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory” operating deep within the Tapa Village forest on June 17, adding that it “was a sophisticated, highly organised transnational syndicate.
“The arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of this threat, but more importantly, it underscores our agency’s world-class intelligence capability to track, intercept, and neutralise them.”
He explained that following the successful raid, a specialised team from our Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring moved in on June 18, 2026, for a rigorous forensic examination of the facility and uncovered a massive, factory-level production line of poison.
According to Marwa, “the laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment.
Chemicals and materials recovered include Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), which is the main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis.”
Among others reportedly discovered were “1800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid (the primary precursor used to synthesize P2P), two 180L drums containing a staggering 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance, and four 180L drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.”
NDLEA disclosed that the industrial processing equipment discovered at the site included one reactor pot, which is the heart of the chemical synthesis, two mounted distillation units and three fabricated mixers and condensers, as well as two vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of the crystals.
“As a result, immediate field tests were conducted by our forensic experts. Samples of the finished crystals recovered yielded a definitive positive result for Methamphetamine,” the agency stated. “Furthermore, the crystalline substance from the 180L drum tested positive for Phenylacetic acid.
“Every single gram of these exhibits has been safely evacuated, documented, and preserved for comprehensive and strict evidential presentation in court.
This is yet another multibillion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, communities and the international community, but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers.”
According to Marwa, the proximity of the latest discovery to the Ogun State laboratory earlier uncovered revealed a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the Southwest axis, as the cartels perfect hiding in dense forests to evade detection.
However, he warned all drug cartels, domestic and international, that “Nigeria is not, and will never be, a haven for your illicit trade. We will find you in the cities, track you into the forests, and dismantle your infrastructure of death. They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong.”
