NDLEA Uncovers Mexican Cartel’s Meth Lab In Oyo Forest

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have uncovered and dismantled another industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory allegedly operated by a Nigerian-Mexican cartel in a forest at Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The latest discovery came barely four weeks after the agency dismantled a similar massive methamphetamine laboratory in a forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Speaking at a press briefing at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said five key members of the cartel were arrested during the operation.

Marwa, who was represented by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, said the raid was carried out on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, by tactical operatives of the NDLEA.

According to him, the laboratory was not a small-scale facility but a fortified and well-organised transnational drug production centre.

“On Wednesday, 17th June 2026, tactical operatives of the NDLEA stormed a highly fortified, industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operating deep within the forest of Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area, Oyo State.

“This was not a rudimentary setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organised transnational syndicate. During the raid, our operatives successfully arrested five key members of the cartel on-site,” he said.

He identified the suspects as a 56-year-old Mexican methamphetamine expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly brought into the country to provide technical expertise for large-scale production, and four Nigerian collaborators.

The Nigerian suspects were named as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.

Marwa said the arrest of a foreign cartel specialist in Nigeria showed the transnational dimension of the drug threat and the capacity of the agency to track and dismantle such networks.

“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 neutralize them,” he stated.

He added that a specialised team from the Directorate of Forensic and Chemical Monitoring visited the site on June 18, 2026, to conduct a forensic examination of the facility.

According to him, the team discovered what he described as “a massive, factory-level production line of poison.”

The NDLEA boss said the laboratory was stocked with precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts and heavy-duty processing equipment used for methamphetamine production.

Items recovered from the site included Phenyl-2-propanone, also known as P2P; 1,800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid; two 180-litre drums containing 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance; and four 180-litre drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.

Other materials recovered included 101 bags of caustic soda, each weighing 25kg; 17 containers of sulphuric acid, each containing 25 litres; 19.5 containers of tartaric acid, each weighing 25kg; five containers of Reniso Ultracool 68; 25 bottles of 80 per cent Thioglycolic Acid; two containers of Ethyl Phenylacetate; and 25 cartons of aluminium foil.

Marwa said heavy-duty processing equipment recovered at the site included one reactor pot, two mounted distillation units, three fabricated mixers and condensers, and two vegetable dehydrator machines allegedly used for drying crystals.

“The Industrial Processing Equipment discovered at the site include: 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,” he said.

Marwa said immediate field tests conducted by forensic experts confirmed that the finished crystals recovered from the laboratory tested positive for methamphetamine.

He added that the crystalline substance found in one of the 180-litre drums tested positive for Phenylacetic acid.

“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. Furthermore, the crystalline substance from the 180L drum tested positive for Phenylacetic acid,” he said.

He noted that all exhibits had been evacuated, documented and preserved for use as evidence in court.

“Every single gram of these exhibits has been safely evacuated, documented, and preserved for comprehensive and strict evidential presentation in court,” Marwa added.

The NDLEA chairman said the recovered substances and equipment were worth several billions of naira and could have been used to produce millions of doses of synthetic drugs for local and international markets.

“This is yet another multi-billion-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,” he said.

Marwa said the proximity of the Oyo laboratory to the one recently uncovered in Ogun State showed what he described as a desperate attempt by drug cartels to turn the South-West into a synthetic drug manufacturing hub.

He warned both local and international drug syndicates that Nigeria would not be a safe haven for illicit drug production and trafficking.

“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. We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.

“They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong,” Marwa warned.

He commended the officers of the Oyo State Command involved in the operation for what he described as their gallantry, dedication and professionalism.

“We want to commend the gallantry, dedication, and clinical professionalism of our officers of the Oyo State Command involved in this operation. To the Nigerian public, we say thank you for your continued trust and credible information. Together, we are securing the future of our nation,” he said.