Nigeria Charges 10 After Meth Lab Bust, Including Three Mexicans
Nigerian authorities have formally charged 10 suspects, including three Mexican nationals, following a major methamphetamine laboratory bust in the country’s southwest, according to verified reports.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said the suspects were arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos on an 11-count charge related to operating an illegal drug laboratory, producing large quantities of methamphetamine, and trafficking narcotics.
Authorities disclosed that the clandestine lab—raided in May—was capable of producing industrial-scale quantities of meth, with about 2.67 tonnes linked to the operation.
The suspects were arrested during coordinated operations between May 16 and May 18 across Lagos and neighbouring Ogun State.
Investigators also revealed that the seized drugs and precursor chemicals had an estimated street value of about $363 million, highlighting the scale of the network.
All 10 defendants have pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody pending bail hearings and trial.
The case stems from one of Nigeria’s largest-ever drug busts, where authorities uncovered an industrial-scale meth lab in a forested area of Ogun State and dismantled a transnational syndicate involving Nigerian and Mexican operatives.
Officials say the involvement of Mexican nationals—described in earlier reports as technical “cooks”—points to increasing collaboration between West African networks and Latin American drug cartels, raising concerns about Nigeria’s growing role as a production hub for synthetic drugs.
