Nigerian anti-narcotics agency demolishes $360 million clandestine methamphetamine factory with alleged Mexican connections in Ogun state

In a significant crackdown, authorities have successfully dismantled what is believed to be the largest methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria, marking a major breakthrough in the country's fight against drug trafficking.

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The laboratory's dismantling was carried out on Wednesday, following a court order, and 10 suspects, including three Mexican nationals, are currently facing trial for their alleged involvement in an international drug operation in Ogun State.

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The makeshift laboratory was cleverly concealed within a forest that spans the Abidagba and Iroto communities in Ogun State, and its dismantling was undertaken by operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

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An AFP correspondent, accompanied by NDLEA officials, visited the site and observed local artisans in the process of dismantling large cooking cauldrons, filtration equipment, and chemical processing facilities that were allegedly used to produce methamphetamine.

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The laboratory was initially raided in May, resulting in the arrest of 10 suspects, including seven Nigerians and three Mexican nationals, and the operation also extended to two residential properties in an upscale Lagos neighbourhood.

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During the operation, authorities recovered methamphetamine and precursor chemicals valued at approximately $360m, and the suspects are currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

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The NDLEA's Deputy Commander of Narcotics, James Taalba, expressed the agency's readiness to confront any attempts by foreign drug cartels to establish operations in Nigeria, stating "About our readiness to combat the cartel... yes, we are ready" and "We have people who are capable of curtailing such a situation".

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The dismantling of the laboratory was prompted by a directive from the trial court, which was issued after forensic experts warned that the chemicals left at the site posed significant environmental and public health risks.

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NDLEA Director of Forensics, Patricia Afolabi, explained that the court ordered the laboratory dismantled due to concerns over groundwater and air pollution caused by the chemicals used in methamphetamine production.

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At the time of the visit by journalists, barrels containing chemicals and partially processed methamphetamine were still emitting choking vapours, having remained inside the facility as exhibits.

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Nigeria, along with other West African countries, has increasingly become a transit point for cocaine shipments from South America to Europe, and security experts have also raised concerns over the growing local manufacture of methamphetamine.

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According to previous reports, Latin American drug specialists have transferred production expertise to criminal networks in Nigeria, and the Institute for Security Studies reported in 2019 that methamphetamine seizures and laboratory raids in Nigeria had been increasing since around 2011.

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In a separate incident, another Mexican national was arrested in June during a methamphetamine operation in Oyo State, highlighting the ongoing issue of foreign involvement in Nigeria's drug trade.

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A resident of nearby Abidagba village, 59-year-old Florence Banjo, expressed surprise and disappointment at the true nature of the activities at the forest site, revealing that locals had been unaware of the laboratory's existence and had believed that a housing estate was being built.