The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a suspected Mexican drug kingpin, Arturo Carrera Loaiza, allegedly linked to a network of transnational drug cartels seeking to establish methamphetamine laboratories in Nigeria.
The arrest, according to the agency, came as operatives dismantled another industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory and recovered hundreds of kilogrammes of precursor chemicals, laboratory equipment and other materials used in the illicit production of the drug.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), who disclosed the development in Lagos on Tuesday, vowed that Nigeria would not be allowed to become a safe haven for international drug syndicates.
Marwa, represented at the briefing by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the latest breakthrough followed months of intelligence gathering and painstaking investigation into a wider transnational network behind a series of clandestine drug laboratories uncovered in different parts of the country.
The NDLEA boss recalled that on May 16, 2026, operatives arrested three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators at a forest hideout in Ogun State.
A month later, on June 17, another Mexican national and four Nigerian collaborators were arrested at a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory concealed in a forested area of Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Field tests conducted at the Oyo facility confirmed the presence of large quantities of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals.
Investigations by the agency’s Special Operations Unit subsequently established that the 56-year-old Mexican methamphetamine expert arrested in Oyo State had allegedly been recruited into Nigeria by a Mexican drug kingpin.
Working with international partners, investigators obtained a photograph of the suspected kingpin, who the arrested Mexican national positively identified as the person who recruited him and facilitated his movement into Nigeria.
Further intelligence indicated that the suspected kingpin entered Nigeria on June 10, 2026, alongside another Mexican national.
The investigation eventually led operatives to Arturo Carrera Loaiza, who was arrested on August 19, 2026, while allegedly attempting to flee Nigeria through the Lagos airport.
During interrogation, Loaiza reportedly claimed that he was invited into Nigeria by a Nigerian contact identified only as “Henry” under the pretext of establishing a restaurant business.
He also denied knowledge of methamphetamine production or any involvement with the clandestine laboratory in Tapa village.
However, the NDLEA said forensic evidence obtained during the investigation contradicted his claims.
According to the agency, investigators recovered photographs showing Loaiza dressed in a blue laboratory coat and standing among equipment consistent with methamphetamine production.
Analysis of location metadata embedded in the photographs reportedly led investigators to a property under construction at Isiata Ugoni Okposi in Ebonyi State.
On August 30, NDLEA operatives raided the Ebonyi property, which was linked to one John Samuel Ivo Okike.
Interviews with individuals found at the site, including the site engineer and caretaker, reportedly revealed the existence of a suspicious temporary structure erected over the septic tank area at the rear of the property, as well as persistent strong chemical odours coming from the premises.
A CCTV memory card recovered from the property provided what the agency described as a major breakthrough.
Forensic analysis of the footage allegedly showed a foreign national wearing a blue laboratory coat, matching the appearance of Loaiza in the photographs earlier recovered by investigators.
The footage also reportedly captured repeated appearances by Okike.
More significantly, the NDLEA said CCTV footage showed chemicals and laboratory equipment being moved from the property at about 9:00 p.m. on August 21, with Okike allegedly directing the operation alongside other individuals.
Acting on intelligence from a confidential source, NDLEA operatives subsequently traced the relocated materials to an isolated house in a neighbouring community, where they were allegedly being kept by one Nwanja Obasi.
A raid on the location led to the recovery of a substantial cache of chemicals, laboratory equipment and paraphernalia allegedly connected to methamphetamine production.
Among the items recovered were a dehydrator containing a white cloth sieve with loose methamphetamine embedded in it, three additional empty dehydrators, 442.8kg of acetone, 37.1kg of toluene, 20kg of an acetone/bromobenzene mixture, 1.7kg of ethanol, 5.1kg of chloride salt, 31.5kg of hydrochloric acid, 200kg of P2B and 1kg of tartaric acid.
Other items recovered included condensing units, condenser heads, a condenser, a fabricated reaction pot, an access pump, weighing scales, mixers, drums, gas burners, gloves and a blue laboratory coat reportedly matching the one seen in the CCTV footage.
The agency said the recovered materials, CCTV footage, forensic findings and eyewitness accounts had significantly strengthened the case against individuals allegedly connected to the network.
Marwa warned that the NDLEA would intensify its efforts to prevent international drug cartels from using Nigeria as a base for illicit drug production.
“Nigeria will not be allowed to become a haven for transnational drug cartels seeking to relocate their laboratories from other jurisdictions into our forests and rural communities,” Marwa said.
He added that the arrest of Loaiza and the dismantling of the Ebonyi facility, coming after similar operations in Ogun and Oyo States, demonstrated the growing intelligence and forensic capabilities of the NDLEA.
Marwa commended operatives of the Special Operations Unit, Strike Force, Forensics and the Oyo, Ogun and Ebonyi State Commands for what he described as their professionalism, courage and diligence.
He further vowed that the agency would continue to follow every lead until the wider network, including its financiers and local collaborators, was identified and brought to justice.
The NDLEA also urged residents, particularly those living in rural and forested communities, to report suspicious activities, unusual chemical odours and unfamiliar structures that could be connected to clandestine drug operations.
Members of the public can contact the agency through its toll-free line 080010203040 or email info@ndlea.gov.ng.
