Three Mexican Meth Cooks Arrested at Drug Lab in Nigeria

By “El Huaso” for Borderland Beat

In an increasingly common occurrence across Africa, three Mexican meth cooks were arrested by the Nigerian drug police at a raid on a synthetic drug production lab hidden in a forest in Ogun State, Nigeria.

On Wednesday, Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the dismantling of a major meth production operation involving Nigerian and Mexican operatives, arresting ten operatives, including three Mexican cooks identified as “experts” by Nigerian authorities.

The seizure of methamphetamine bust is largest in Nigeria’s history, at 2,419.48 kilograms of meth and precursor chemicals, estimated at a value of $362.9 million USD.

The Nigeria seizure comes just two weeks after South African authorities dismantled another major industrial-scale methamphetamine laboratory in Swartruggens, northwest of Johannesburg, arresting 11 suspects, including five Mexican nationals allegedly involved in supervising production. This was at least the fourth lab bust where Mexican national were arrested.