The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has dismantled a large-scale clandestine methamphetamine production facility hidden in a forest in Tapa Village, Oyo state.

The operation, carried out on June 17, led to the arrest of five suspects. Among them was Jose Villa Ochoa, a Mexican national brought in specifically for his technical expertise in meth production.

Inside the facility, officers found large quantities of precursor chemicals and sophisticated equipment used for manufacturing methamphetamine. Forensic tests later confirmed the presence of the drug at the site.

This discovery is a major blow to international drug trafficking networks. It comes just days after a similar operation in Ogun State.

NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa said Nigeria will not serve as a haven for drug cartels. He assured the public that the agency will continue to pursue these criminal operations relentlessly.

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

“What was uncovered is a massive, factory-level production line of poison,