NDLEA uncovers ‘secret’ Nigerian-Mexican meth cartel

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a Nigerian-Mexican drug cartel operating a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Enugu State.

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Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement on Thursday that the cartel was uncovered in Eziama, a community in Obeagu, Awgu Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Babafemi said the anti-drug agency arrested two suspected kingpins believed to be operating the meth lab in partnership with a notorious Mexican drug cartel member, Rodriguez Villanueva, based in Mexico City, Mexico.

The NDLEA spokesperson explained that the arrest followed several months of intelligence and surveillance on the syndicate.

He identified the arrested suspects as Christopher Chukwu, 45, otherwise known as Brown, and Georginus Chukwu, 60 – both males.

Mr Babafemi disclosed that the suspects have been arraigned before Justice Mabel Segun-Bello of the Federal High Court, Enugu, on a five-count charge of conspiracy, the organisation, management and financing of a drug trafficking organisation, and unlawful possession of precursor chemicals used in methamphetamine production.

He said the offences violated the NDLEA Act.

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“After their plea, Justice Segun-Bello has now scheduled their trial for 21st October 2026, following an application by the agency for an accelerated hearing,” he said.

The spokesperson said those equally charged but currently on the run were Uchenna, alias Uche; Celestine Ikemefuna Iwuchukwu; and Rodriguez Villanueva, who is a notorious member of a Mexican drug cartel.

He said further investigations by a Special Operations Unit of NDLEA revealed a sophisticated and transnational operation by the Nigerian-Mexican cartel.

“Surveillance activities by NDLEA between 1st and 4th December 2025, tracked Brown’s movements between Lagos, Enugu and Anambra States, ultimately leading operatives to a compound in Obeagu where a clandestine laboratory capable of producing methamphetamine in commercial quantities was uncovered.

“The lab, fitted with improvised reactors and distillation apparatus, mirrored similar facilities recently dismantled in Ogun, Oyo and Ebonyi,” he said.

According to the statement, a search of the premises led to the recovery of vast quantities of precursor chemicals, including 690 litres of methylamine, 400 litres of liquid sodium hydroxide, 125 kilograms of N-phenylacetamide, 414 kilograms of lead acetate, and 769.6 kilograms of tartaric acid.

Mr Babafemi stressed that these were among other controlled drugs found, and that the quantity and type of substances suggested a large-scale operation producing highly potent methamphetamine.

He said a related search of George’s family residence yielded eight large fuel tanks, four commercial gas burners, four dehydrators, and 11 kilograms of ephedrine, further underscoring the scale of the cartel’s operations.

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The spokesperson said the Chairman of the NDLEA, Mohamed Marwa, has reaffirmed the agency’s unwavering resolve to track down every fleeing suspect connected to the cartel and ensure they were prosecuted.

He commended all NDLEA officers involved in the operation for their professionalism and doggedness in uncovering another international drug syndicate.

The NDLEA chief described the uncovering of the Enugu lab as further proof that Nigeria will not be allowed to become a haven for transnational drug cartels.

He warned that the anti-drug agency’s “intelligence-driven” operations and international partnerships would continue to close every loophole exploited by drug barons, whether local or foreign.

Mr Babafemi reiterated his charge to all NDLEA personnel to sustain the momentum of relentless enforcement until the nation was rid of the scourge of illicit drug production and trafficking.