NDLEA Busts Nigerian-Mexican Meth Cartel, Seizes N480bn Drugs in Biggest Crackdown Yet

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the dismantling of a powerful Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine cartel in what authorities described as one of the most significant anti-narcotics operations in the country’s history.

The operation led to the arrest of an alleged drug baron, three Mexican nationals believed to be technical experts, and six other suspected members of the syndicate, while operatives also uncovered and shut down what officials called the largest clandestine meth laboratory ever discovered in Nigeria.

The industrial-scale drug factory, hidden deep inside a forest in the Ijebu axis of Ogun State, was raided during coordinated operations carried out across Ogun and Lagos State by elite officers of the NDLEA’s Special Operations Unit.

According to the agency, methamphetamine estimated at about N480 billion was recovered during the raid, making it one of the largest drug seizures ever recorded in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the breakthrough followed months of intelligence gathering and strategic surveillance.

Marwa described the operation as a major victory against transnational organised crime and warned international drug cartels to steer clear of Nigeria.

He said the agency executed “clinical and simultaneous” operations within 48 hours, targeting the cartel’s network in both Ogun and Lagos states.

The NDLEA boss noted that the latest operation came barely weeks after the agency dismantled another international drug trafficking organisation allegedly led by Simon Amadi in a joint operation involving the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, France, and Greece.

Marwa said the latest arrests and seizures underscore the growing sophistication of international drug syndicates attempting to use Nigeria as a production and transit hub for narcotics, but insisted that the NDLEA remains prepared to confront such threats.

He commended officers involved in the operation, describing the mission as evidence of improved intelligence capabilities and international cooperation in the fight against illicit drug trafficking.

The agency said investigations are ongoing to identify other members of the cartel and trace the wider international network linked to the meth production ring.