Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a suspected industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory in Ebonyi State and arrested a Mexican national allegedly linked to a wider transnational drug network. (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency)
The suspect, identified as Arturo Carrera Loaiza, was arrested on August 19, 2026, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while allegedly attempting to leave Nigeria, according to the NDLEA. The agency disclosed the operation on September 15. (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency)
The investigation reportedly began after earlier arrests connected to suspected clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in Ogun and Oyo states. The NDLEA said information obtained during those investigations linked Loaiza to the wider network. (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency)
Authorities say the Ebonyi operation uncovered methamphetamine and chemicals allegedly used in its production, including acetone, ethanol, chloride salt and hydrochloric acid. Three empty dehydrators were also reportedly found at the facility. (AP News)
According to the NDLEA, Loaiza denied involvement in methamphetamine production and said he had travelled to Nigeria for a restaurant business. Investigators, however, allege that evidence gathered during the investigation connected him to the drug laboratory network. These allegations remain subject to legal proceedings. (Punch Newspapers)
The agency says the operation forms part of a broader investigation into transnational groups attempting to establish clandestine drug-production facilities in Nigerian forests and rural communities.
The NDLEA has pledged to continue working with international partners to disrupt such networks and prevent Nigeria from becoming a base for illicit drug production.
The investigation is ongoing, and the allegations against the arrested suspect have not yet been determined by a courts.
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