The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against transnational drug trafficking with the arrest of a Mexican national allegedly linked to a network of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories operating in Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Arturo Carrera Loaiza, was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while attempting to leave the country. His arrest followed months of investigations by the agency into illegal methamphetamine production facilities previously uncovered in Ogun and Oyo states.
According to the NDLEA, the operation exposed what investigators described as an international drug syndicate seeking to establish industrial-scale methamphetamine production centres within Nigeria. The agency said intelligence gathered during earlier arrests led operatives to Loaiza, who was allegedly connected to the recruitment and deployment of foreign experts involved in the illegal manufacturing process.
Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, who spoke on behalf of the Chairman of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), said investigators were able to trace the suspect’s activities through forensic evidence and intelligence analysis.
The agency disclosed that photographs showing the suspect inside a laboratory facility, alongside location data and CCTV footage, helped operatives identify and track his movements. Further investigations led officers to a property located in Isiata Ugoni Okposi, Ebonyi State, where another clandestine methamphetamine laboratory was allegedly being operated.
During a raid on the facility, NDLEA operatives recovered large quantities of precursor chemicals and equipment used in the production of illicit drugs. Items reportedly recovered included 442.8 kilograms of acetone, 200 kilograms of phenyl-2-butanone (P2B), hydrochloric acid, toluene, dehydrators and other laboratory apparatus.
Marwa described the development as evidence of the agency’s growing intelligence, surveillance and forensic capabilities. He noted that the NDLEA would continue to target criminal organisations attempting to use Nigeria as a production hub for dangerous narcotics.
He also warned international drug cartels against relocating their operations to Nigeria’s forests and rural communities, stressing that the agency remained committed to dismantling such networks.
The NDLEA urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, particularly those involving isolated facilities and unusual chemical storage, as part of efforts to curb drug production and trafficking across the country
