Nigeria Seizes $363 Million Worth of Meth in Major Anti-Drug Operation

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered what authorities described as one of the largest methamphetamine production operations ever detected in Nigeria after seizing illicit drugs and chemical substances valued at approximately $363 million during coordinated raids in Ogun and Lagos states.

The anti-drug agency disclosed that operatives recovered about 2.4 tons of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals from an illegal production site hidden within the Abidagba forest area of Ogun State following months of intelligence gathering and surveillance.

According to the agency, the operation exposed a sophisticated manufacturing network allegedly supported by foreign technical experts brought into Nigeria to strengthen local meth production capacity.

NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa said the enforcement exercise lasted nearly 48 hours and targeted multiple linked locations across Ogun and Lagos states.

Authorities confirmed the arrest of 10 suspects, including three Mexican nationals alleged to have acted as methamphetamine production specialists.

Seven suspects were apprehended at the forest-based laboratory site in Ogun State, while another suspect identified as the alleged coordinator of the operation was arrested in Lagos during follow-up raids.

Investigators said the scale of the discovery points to a growing shift among international drug trafficking groups toward establishing manufacturing operations inside Nigeria instead of relying solely on transit routes.

The NDLEA noted that the quantity seized represented millions of potential street-level doses and highlighted increasing collaboration between local criminal networks and foreign trafficking organizations.

Security analysts have repeatedly warned that West Africa’s porous borders and expanding logistics networks are making the region more attractive to transnational drug syndicates seeking alternative supply and distribution routes.

The latest seizure also reinforces concerns about Nigeria’s evolving role within the global narcotics trade as criminal organizations increasingly establish production infrastructure within the country.

The agency said investigations remain ongoing as authorities intensify efforts to dismantle connected trafficking networks and identify additional collaborators linked to the operation.