Subscribe: Gist E-Paper
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a large-scale methamphetamine production facility concealed in a forest in Oyo State, arresting a Mexican national and four Nigerians allegedly linked to the operation.
The illicit laboratory, located in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, was described by the agency as a sophisticated drug manufacturing hub capable of producing significant quantities of methamphetamine for local and international distribution.
The operation comes less than a month after NDLEA operatives uncovered another methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over the growing presence of synthetic drug production networks in the South-West region.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the raid dealt a major blow to an international drug syndicate.
According to Marwa, NDLEA tactical operatives stormed the facility on June 17 and arrested five suspects, including 56-year-old Mexican national Jose Villa Ochoa, believed to have been recruited to provide technical expertise for methamphetamine production.
The other suspects were identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
He noted that the arrest of a foreign drug expert underscored the transnational nature of modern drug trafficking operations and highlighted the agency’s intelligence-gathering and enforcement capabilities.
A post-operation assessment by NDLEA forensic and chemical experts revealed a factory-scale production line equipped with large quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial machinery used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.
Recovered items included substantial quantities of Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), phenylacetic acid, processed crystalline substances, and containers of liquid chemicals at different stages of synthesis.
Operatives also seized 101 bags of caustic soda, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, thioglycolic acid, ethyl phenylacetate, cartons of aluminium foil and other chemical substances used in drug production.
Industrial equipment recovered from the site included a reactor pot, distillation units, condensers, mixers and dehydrator machines used in processing and drying methamphetamine crystals.
Field tests conducted by NDLEA experts confirmed that samples recovered from the laboratory tested positive for methamphetamine, while other exhibits were identified as precursor chemicals used in the production process.
Marwa said all exhibits had been documented and secured as evidence for prosecution.
He described the operation as another major investment by drug cartels aimed at flooding communities and foreign markets with synthetic narcotics.
The NDLEA boss warned that the discovery of two large methamphetamine laboratories in the South-West within a short period suggested a coordinated effort by criminal networks to establish drug production bases in the region.
He, however, vowed that the agency would continue to track down and dismantle drug syndicates wherever they operate.
Marwa commended officers of the NDLEA Oyo State Command for their professionalism and courage during the operation and urged members of the public to continue providing credible intelligence to support the fight against illicit drug trafficking.
The latest bust adds to growing concerns over the increasing role of Nigeria as both a transit point and production centre for synthetic drugs, a trend security experts say poses serious public health and security challenges.
