NDLEA Arrests 10 Nigerian–Mexican Meth Syndicate Members, Seizes N480bn Drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has dismantled a major transnational drug cartel involving Nigerian and Mexican nationals, arresting 10 suspects and recovering methamphetamine worth about N480 billion in one of its biggest operations to date.

The NDLEA chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), disclosed this in Abuja while briefing journalists on what he described as a “clinical and simultaneous operation” carried out by operatives of the agency’s Special Operations Unit (SOU).

Marwa said the operation led to the shutdown of an industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a remote forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, describing it as the largest meth facility ever discovered in Nigeria.

He said the suspects include Nigerian collaborators and three Mexican nationals identified as technical experts brought in to produce the illicit substance.

Those arrested include Nwankwo Sunday Christian (41), Igwe Abuchi Remijus (42), Ifeanyichukwu Chibuike Joshua (23), Egwuonwu Uchenna Victor (38), Kingsley Orike Omonughwa (44), Emeka Nwobum, and alleged cartel leader Anochili Innocent, alongside Mexican nationals Martinez Felix Nemecto (46), Jesus López Valles (40), and Torrero Juan Carlos (51).

Marwa said the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and was executed simultaneously across Ogun and Lagos States on May 16, 2026.

“Barely two weeks ago, we announced the successful takedown of a high-profile Drug Trafficking Organization… today, I am proud to announce that the NDLEA has struck another crippling blow to the heart of transnational organised crime,” he said.

He explained that operatives stormed a remote farm in Abidagba forest, Ijebu East, where the meth laboratory was located, arresting seven suspects at the site.

“Among those arrested are three Mexican nationals brought into the country specifically to cook this deadly substance, alongside four Nigerian collaborators,” Marwa said.

He added that a parallel operation led operatives to the Lekki area of Lagos, where the alleged cartel leader, Anochili Innocent, was arrested at his residence in the Golf Estate, Lakowe.

Marwa said the arrest led to the recovery of international passports and mobile phones belonging to the Mexican suspects, linking the network to cross-border drug trafficking operations.

He further disclosed that follow-up raids on May 18, 2026, led to the arrest of another suspect, Omonughwa, at a property in Mayfair Estate, Lakowe, while another suspect, Emeka Nwobum, was also picked up at a separate location used as a stash house.

According to him, a total of 2,419.48 kilograms of chemical materials, including highly toxic and crystallised methamphetamine, were recovered from the operation, with an estimated international street value of $362,922,000, translating to over N480 billion.

Marwa described the operation as one of the most significant blows against organised drug trafficking networks in Nigeria’s history, pledging continued clampdown on cartels operating within and outside the country.