NDLEA busts meth lab in Oyo forest, arrests Mexican, four Nigerians

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Oyo State and arrested five suspects, including a Mexican national allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the operation.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the discovery as a major breakthrough in the agency’s campaign against drug trafficking and production syndicates.

Represented by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, Marwa said the laboratory, located inside a forest in Tapa Village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, was raided on June 17 following actionable intelligence.

“Today, we are proud to announce that our operatives, acting on zero-sharp, credible intelligence, have struck another decisive blow deeper into the heart of yet another cartel.

“Tactical operatives of the NDLEA stormed the highly fortified industrial-scale clandestine methamphetamine laboratory operating deep within the forest of Tapa Village.

“This is not a rudimentary set-up; it was a sophisticated, highly organised transnational syndicate,” he said.

Marwa identified those arrested as 56-year-old Mexican methamphetamine expert, Jose Villa Ochoa, and four Nigerians – Maxwell Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.

He said the arrest of the foreign suspect underscored the international dimension of the drug trade.

“The arrest of a foreign cartel specialist on Nigerian soil underscores the transnational nature of this threat, but more importantly, it underscores our agency’s world-class intelligence capability to track, intercept and neutralise them,” he said.

Marwa said forensic experts deployed to the site uncovered what he described as a factory-level production line.

According to him, the laboratory was stocked with large quantities of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts and processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

He said materials recovered from the site included phenyl-2-propanone, phenylacetic acid, crystalline substances suspected to be methamphetamine, caustic soda, sulphuric acid, tartaric acid, thioglycolic acid, ethyl phenylacetate and aluminium foil.

“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, which is the main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis; 1800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid (the primary precursor used to synthesise 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 includes: One Reactor Pot, which is the heart of the chemical synthesis; two mounted distillation units and three fabricated mixers and condensers; as well as two vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of the crystals.”

Marwa said field tests conducted by forensic experts confirmed the presence of methamphetamine in samples recovered from the site.

“Samples of the finished crystals recovered yielded a definitive positive result for methamphetamine.

“Every single gramme of this acid has been safely evacuated, documented and preserved for comprehensive and strict evidential presentation in court,” he said.

He described the seizure as another major blow to drug syndicates seeking to establish production bases in the South-West.

“This is yet another multi-billion-dollar worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, our communities and the international community, but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers,” he said.

Marwa said the latest discovery came about four weeks after the agency dismantled another methamphetamine laboratory in Ogun State.

“The proximity of this 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 South-West axis.

“They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were indeed very wrong,” he said.

He warned drug traffickers and manufacturers against using Nigeria as a base for their operations.