IN a major victory against transnational organised crime, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have dismantled a sprawling, industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operated by a Nigerian-Mexican cartel deep within the forest of Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State.
The operation, which took place on Wednesday, 17th June 2026, comes barely four weeks after the Agency uncovered a similar massive meth lab in a forest in Ijebu East, Ogun State.
The back-to-back discoveries signal a desperate push by drug barons to establish the Southwest as a hub for synthetic drug manufacturing.
Five Arrested, Including Mexican Chemist
During the raid, NDLEA tactical operatives apprehended five key members of the syndicate on-site.
Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, described as a methamphetamine expert brought in specifically to provide the technical expertise required for large-scale synthesis.
His Nigerian collaborators, who provided logistical support and local operational cover, were named as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
‘A Factory-Level Production Line of Poison’
Speaking at a press briefing at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, 24th June 2026, the Agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), represented by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, detailed the shocking scale of the operation.
“This was not a rudimentary setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organised transnational syndicate,” Babafemi quoted the Chairman as saying.
Following the raid, a specialised team from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring moved in on 18th June to conduct a rigorous forensic examination. What they uncovered was described as a “massive, factory-level production line of poison.”
Haul of Precursor Chemicals and Equipment
The laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment.
Recovered items included:
· Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P): The main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis.
· Phenylacetic acid: Found in 1,800-litre drums, this is the primary precursor used to synthesise P2P.
· 300 litres of a whitish crystalline substance found in two 180-litre drums.
· Four 180-litre drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.
· 101 bags (25kg each) of Caustic Soda.
· 17 containers (25L each) of Sulphuric Acid.
· 19.5 containers (25kg each) of Tartaric Acid.
· 5 containers of Reniso Ultracool 68.
· 25 bottles (500ml each) of 80% Thioglycolic Acid.
· 2 containers (25L each) of Ethyl Phenylacetate.
· 25 cartons of aluminium foil.
The industrial processing equipment discovered at the site included a reactor pot (the heart of the chemical synthesis), two mounted distillation units, three fabricated mixers and condensers, and two vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of crystals.
Forensic Confirmation
Immediate field tests conducted by forensic experts confirmed that samples of the finished crystals yielded a definitive positive result for Methamphetamine. Furthermore, the crystalline substance from the 180-litre 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,” Babafemi stated. “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.”
‘We Will Track You into the Forests’
Brig. Gen. Marwa noted that the proximity of the latest discovery to the Ogun State lab uncovered weeks earlier reveals a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the Southwest. He warned that the cartels’ belief that hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law was a grave miscalculation.
“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade,” Marwa declared. “We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.”
The NDLEA boss commended the gallantry, dedication, and clinical professionalism of the officers involved in the operation and thanked the Nigerian public for their continued trust and credible information.
“Together, we are securing the future of our nation,” he added.
