NDLEA bust illegal meth factory in Oyo forest, arrest four Nigerians, Mexican

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered and dismantled a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine production facility concealed in a forest in Oyo State.

The agency said the illegal laboratory was located in Tapa village, within the Ibarapa North Local Government Area, and was discovered during a raid carried out by its tactical operatives on June 17.

According to the NDLEA, the operation led to the dismantling of the facility, which was allegedly being used for the illicit production of methamphetamine.

Methamphetamine is a powerful central nervous system stimulant commonly abused as a recreational drug and, in some cases, for performance enhancement.

Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, described the facility as a sophisticated operation run by a transnational drug syndicate seeking to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing base in the south-west region.

Represented by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s director of media and advocacy, during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Marwa said the five suspects, including a Mexican national allegedly recruited to oversee the operation, were arrested.

The suspects were identified as Jose Villa Ochoa, 56-year-old Mexican methamphetamine specialist, and four Nigerians — Maxwell Uche Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.

According to him, Ochoa was brought into the country to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine, while the Nigerian suspects handled logistics and local operations.

“This was not a rudimentary setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organized transnational syndicate,” Marwa said.

He added that the arrest of a foreign expert highlighted the international dimension of the illicit drug trade and demonstrated the agency’s intelligence-gathering capabilities.

Following the raid, a team from the agency’s directorate of forensic and chemical monitoring conducted an examination of the facility.

“What they uncovered is a massive, factory-level production line of poison,” Marwa said.

“The laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment.

“Chemicals and Materials recovered include: Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), which is the the main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis; 1800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid (the primary precursor used to synthesize P2P); Two 180L drums containing a staggering 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance; Four 180L drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.

“Others include: 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 (three 50L and two 25L capacity; 25 bottles (500ml each) of 80% Thioglycolic Acid; 2 containers (25L each) of Ethyl Phenylacetate, and 25 cartons of aluminum foil.

“The Industrial Processing Equipment discovered at the site include: One (1) Reactor Pot, which is the heart of the chemical synthesis; Two (2) mounted distillation units and three (3) fabricated mixers and condensers; as well as Two (2) vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of the crystals.

“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.”

Marwa said field tests conducted by NDLEA forensic experts confirmed the presence of methamphetamine among substances recovered from the site.

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

The discovery comes less than a month after NDLEA dismantled another major methamphetamine laboratory concealed in a forest in Ijebu-east LGA of Osun.

The NDLEA boss said the discovery suggested an attempt by drug trafficking networks to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing corridor in the south-west.

“The proximity of this latest discovery to the Ogun State lab uncovered about four weeks ago reveals a desperate attempt by drug barons to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing hub in the Southwest axis,” he said.

He warned drug cartels operating within and outside Nigeria that the agency would continue to target their operations.

“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,” he added.

He also commended officers of the NDLEA Oyo state command involved in the operation and urged the public to continue providing credible information to support the agency’s anti-drug efforts.

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