A Nigerian federal judge held an unusual court hearing inside an alleged illicit methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a dense forest two hours from Lagos. Justice Musa Kakaki inspected chemicals and equipment as three Mexicans and seven Nigerians appeared in handcuffs.
The makeshift lab emitted a pungent odor from a drum of crystallizing liquid methamphetamine. Open vats of dark, viscous 'crude' meth, propane cylinders, and bags of caustic soda were scattered around the unfinished building.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) described the May arrests as Nigeria's largest-ever meth bust, seizing over two tonnes of the drug worth an estimated $360 million. The agency claimed to have dealt 'another crippling blow' to a 'sophisticated Nigerian-Mexican methamphetamine production syndicate.'
A second lab was found in Oyo State the following month, with five suspects including a Mexican 'methamphetamine expert.' The raids highlight West Africa's growing role in global synthetic drug trade, with Mexican 'cooks' increasingly working alongside locals.
James Griego, head of counter-narcotics operations for US Africa Command (Africom), stated that Mexican meth is considered the highest purity and potency. Africom reported 14 Mexican-operated labs raided since 2023, with five in 2025, four of which were in Nigeria.
Intelligence links some labs to Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels. Africom commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson alleged to US Congress that 'African-based terror groups are financed to an increasing degree by drug cartels.'
West Africa offers secluded forest land, cheap labor, and weak chemical import regulations. NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi noted the large youth population provides both labor and a local market.
A 2018 survey found 14.4% of Nigerian adults had used illicit drugs, more than double the global average. Meth use is spreading across East and Southern Africa.
Cartels use Africa to shorten supply lines to Asia and Europe. The UNODC reported a 47% increase in meth use in Europe from 2014 to 2024. Increased US pressure on Latin American cartels may be driving them to diversify into Africa.
Nigerian authorities remain confident. Babafemi stated, 'We've been able to prove that Nigeria won't be a safe haven for them.'
Source: www.bbc.co.uk