The forest in Nigeria that hid a $360 million meth Lab
Key Takeaways
- Nigeria dismantled its largest known methamphetamine laboratory.
- The $360 million drug operation was hidden in a forest in Ogun State.
- Authorities say the case points to suspected Mexican cartel involvement.
Authorities dismantled Nigeria's largest known methamphetamine laboratory after a court ordered its demolition during an ongoing trial involving three Mexican nationals.
What looked like a quiet stretch of forest in Nigeria's Ogun State was hiding what authorities describe as the country's largest methamphetamine laboratory ever discovered.
On Wednesday, officers from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) dismantled the makeshift facility after a court approved its demolition during an ongoing drug trafficking trial involving three Mexican nationals.
AFP visited the site with NDLEA officers as a local welder and carpenter dismantled the cauldrons and filtration equipment used to manufacture methamphetamine.
The laboratory occupied about an acre of forest land between the villages of Abidagba and Iroto.
The court ordered the site to be dismantled because of the environmental risks posed by the chemicals used in the production process.
Patricia Afolabi, the NDLEA's director of forensics, said the decision was taken to prevent groundwater and air pollution.
When AFP visited, barrels containing chemicals and partially processed methamphetamine remained inside the shed, with strong fumes still filling the air.
The laboratory was raided in May, when authorities arrested 10 suspects, including three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerians. Officers also searched two residential properties in an upscale Lagos neighbourhood, seizing methamphetamine and precursor chemicals worth an estimated $360 million.
The criminal case remains before the courts in Lagos.
The discovery has raised concerns over the presence of Mexican drug cartels in Nigeria.
"About our readiness to combat the cartel... yes, we are ready," NDLEA Deputy Commander of Narcotics James Taalba told AFP.
"We have people who are capable of curtailing such a situation."
West Africa has increasingly become a transit route for cocaine shipments moving from South America to Europe. Authorities also say methamphetamine production has expanded in the region as foreign criminal groups bring their expertise to local operations.
A 2019 report by the Institute for Security Studies found that methamphetamine seizures and laboratory raids in Nigeria have increased since around 2011.
Another Mexican national was arrested in a separate methamphetamine operation in Oyo State in June.
For residents living near the site, the discovery came as a shock.
Florence Banjo, a farmer from the nearby village of Abidagba, said the smell from the laboratory often drifted into the community. She believed it came from a pig farm and never suspected a drug operation hidden in the forest.
She also recalled that construction activity around the site had sparked hopes of development.
"We heard rumours that they were going to build (a housing) estate there, and I was happy that they'd finally pave the road that leads into our village," the 59-year-old told AFP.
"We were disappointed."
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
