Nigeria Arrests Alleged Mexican Kingpin as Suspected Industrial-Scale Meth Lab Is Uncovered

Nigeria's anti-drug agency says it has arrested an alleged Mexican cartel figure accused of helping set up a large-scale methamphetamine operation in the country, detaining Arturo Carrera Loaiza at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on 19 August 2026 as he allegedly tried to leave Nigeria.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the arrest and the discovery of a suspected industrial-scale laboratory in Ebonyi State during a press briefing in Lagos on 15 September. Officials said the investigation had lasted several months and crossed three states.

Earlier Raids Exposed Wider Network

The investigation began on 16 May, when NDLEA officers raided a forest hideout in Ogun State. Three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians were arrested during the operation.

A second raid took place on 17 June at a suspected methamphetamine laboratory in a forested area of Tapa village, in Oyo State's Ibarapa North Local Government Area. Officers arrested 56-year-old Mexican national Jose Villa Ochoa, described by the agency as a methamphetamine expert, along with four Nigerians accused of assisting him.

According to the NDLEA, Ochoa later identified Loaiza from a photograph as the person who recruited him and arranged for him to travel to Nigeria. Investigators said intelligence showed Loaiza had entered Nigeria on 10 June, travelling with another Mexican national, Jose Ceballos Perez.

Digital Evidence Challenged Suspect's Account

After his arrest at the Lagos airport, Loaiza reportedly told investigators that he had been invited to Nigeria by a contact named 'Henry' to set up a restaurant.

He denied involvement in drug production. Investigators, however, recovered photographs showing Loaiza wearing a blue laboratory coat and standing near equipment used for methamphetamine production, according to the NDLEA.

The photographs contained location data which investigators said pointed them towards an under-construction property in Isiata Ugoni Okposi, Ebonyi State. The property was linked to a local contact identified as John Samuel Ivo Okike.

Raid Found Chemical Odours and Hidden Structure

NDLEA officers raided the Ebonyi property on 30 August. They reported finding strong chemical odours and a temporary structure built over an area near the rear septic tank. A forensic examination of a CCTV memory card recovered at the site also allegedly showed Loaiza at the property wearing a laboratory coat.

The footage reportedly showed Okike moving chemicals and laboratory equipment from the building at about 9pm on 21 August. Investigators then followed the relocated equipment and chemicals to an isolated building in a neighbouring community. The site was reportedly under the custody of a person identified as Nwanja Obasi.

Hundreds of Kilograms of Chemicals Seized

The raid produced a large quantity of chemical substances that the NDLEA said were suspected precursors for methamphetamine production. Among the items seized were 442.8kg of acetone, 200kg of P2B, 37.1kg of toluene and 31.5kg of hydrochloric acid.

Officers also recovered a 20kg mixture of acetone and bromobenzene, 5.1kg of chloride salt, 1.7kg of ethanol and 1kg of tartaric acid. The agency said laboratory equipment was also found at the location.

This included a dehydrator containing a white cloth sieve with loose methamphetamine, three empty dehydrators, condensing units, a condenser head, a condenser, a fabricated reaction pot and an access pump.

Weighing scales, mixers, gas burners and drums were also recovered, along with a blue laboratory coat that the agency said matched the coat seen in photographs of Loaiza.

Agency Appeals for Information

Marwa used the briefing to urge people living in rural and forested communities to report unusual activity. The NDLEA highlighted unusual chemical smells, suspicious activity and unfamiliar structures as possible warning signs.

The agency said the investigation demonstrated the threat posed by foreign criminal networks attempting to establish large-scale drug production facilities in remote parts of Nigeria. It said efforts were continuing to identify and apprehend other people allegedly connected to the network.

Residents can contact the agency through its toll-free line, 080010203040, or by email at [email protected].