Nigeria arrests three Mexicans in $480 bn meth lab bust

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in Mowe, Ijebu East, Ogun State. The operation recovered more than 2,419 kg of meth worth about N480 billion (roughly $363 million) and large quantities of precursor chemicals.

Three Mexican nationals – Juan Carlos Meza Torrero (49), Nemecio Martínez Félix (46) and Jesús López Valles (40) – identified as meth‑production experts, were arrested along with six Nigerians and a 63‑year‑old alleged drug baron, Anochili Innocent. All defendants were arraigned before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos on an 11‑count charge covering conspiracy, illegal production, trafficking, possession of precursor chemicals and financing of a drug‑trafficking organisation. The accused pleaded not guilty and were remanded at the Lagos Correctional Centre, with the trial adjourned to 16‑22 July 2026.

NDLEA Chairman Brig‑Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa said the case represents “one of the most significant crackdowns on industrial‑scale drug manufacturing in Nigeria,” highlighting the transnational nature of the cartel and Nigeria’s emerging role as a production hub for export.