The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says it has dismantled a major transnational drug syndicate involving Nigerian and Mexican collaborators, shutting down what officials describe as the largest clandestine methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in the country.
Speaking in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa, said elite operatives carried out coordinated raids across Ogun and Lagos states, leading to the arrest of the alleged kingpin, three Mexican drug experts and several Nigerian accomplices.
According to Marwa, the syndicate operated an industrial-scale meth laboratory hidden inside a forest in Ijebu area of Ogun State, while luxury properties in Lekki, Lagos, served as operational bases and stash locations.
The agency says more than 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and chemical materials valued at over 362 million dollars on the international market were recovered during the operation, alongside vehicles and other items linked to the cartel.
“The suspects arrested in the forest lab are: Nwankwo Sunday Christian, 41; Igwe Abuchi Remijus, 42; Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua, 23; and Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor, 38; as well as the three Mexican meth experts: Martinez Felix Nemecto, 46; Jesus López Valles, 40; and
Torrero Juan Carlos, 51.
The NDLEA boss described the breakthrough as another major blow against transnational organised crime, warning that Nigeria will not become a safe haven for international drug cartels.
“The operation yielded a massive 2,419.48 kilograms (over 2.4 tons) of chemical materials, including highly toxic, volatile, and crystallized methamphetamine worth Three Hundred and Sixty-Two Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Two Thousand Dollars ($362,922,000.00) in the international market. This translates to over Four Hundred and Eighty Billion Naira (N480,000,000,000.00). Imagine this humongous amount in the control of criminal elements! Also recovered from the cartel include: a Toyota Tacoma vehicle used for operations at the clandestine meth laboratory, and a Toyota Highlander seized from the kingpin’s residence.
He also urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities in their communities, especially unusual chemical odours and movements around isolated locations.
“Report suspicious activities, strange chemical odours, or unusual movements in your localities. This war is for the soul of our nation, and we will not back down until we achieve a drug-free Nigeria”, he added.
Reporting By Nosa Aituamen