The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a Mexican methamphetamine kingpin, Arturo Carrera Loaiza, while attempting to leave Nigeria through the Lagos airport.
The agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said the investigation began after three Mexican nationals and seven Nigerian collaborators were arrested at a forest hideout in Ogun State on May 16, 2026.
On June 17, operatives also arrested another Mexican national, 56-year-old Jose Villa Ochoa, alongside four Nigerian collaborators at a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in a forested area of Tapa village, Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Marwa said investigations established that Ochoa had been recruited and brought to Nigeria by Loaiza.
He said international collaboration enabled investigators to obtain a photograph of Loaiza, which Ochoa positively identified as the person who recruited him.
According to him, intelligence further showed that Loaiza entered Nigeria on June 10, 2026, alongside another Mexican national, Jose Ceballos Perez.
Loaiza was subsequently tracked and arrested on August 19 while attempting to leave Nigeria through the Lagos airport.
During interrogation, Marwa said, Loaiza claimed he had been invited to Nigeria by a Nigerian contact identified only as “Henry” under the guise of a restaurant business venture. He also denied knowledge of methamphetamine production or involvement in the Tapa village laboratory.
However, investigators recovered photographs showing Loaiza wearing a blue laboratory coat and standing among equipment believed to be associated with methamphetamine production.
Marwa said analysis of location metadata from the photographs led investigators to a property under construction at Isiata Ugoni Okposi in Ebonyi State. On August 30, operatives raided the property, which was linked to John Samuel Ivo Okike.
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Interviews with the site engineer and caretaker revealed that a suspicious temporary structure had been built over the septic tank area at the rear of the property. They also reported persistent strong chemical odours coming from the premises.
Further evidence was obtained from a CCTV memory card recovered at the property. According to Marwa, the footage showed a foreign national wearing a blue laboratory coat resembling the person in Loaiza’s photographs, as well as repeated appearances by Okike.
He said footage from about 9 p.m. on August 21 showed chemicals and laboratory equipment being moved from the property, with Okike allegedly directing the operation.
Further intelligence led operatives to an isolated house in a neighbouring community, where the relocated materials were being kept under the custody of Nwanja Obasi.
A subsequent raid resulted in the recovery of large quantities of chemicals, laboratory equipment and other items linked to methamphetamine production.
The recovered items included 442.8kg of acetone, 37.1kg of toluene, 20kg of an acetone-bromobenzene mixture, 1.7kg of ethanol, 5.1kg of chloride salt, 31.5kg of hydrochloric acid, 200kg of P2B and 1kg of tartaric acid.
Other items recovered included a dehydrator containing a white cloth sieve embedded with loose methamphetamine, three empty dehydrators, condensing units, condensers, a fabricated reaction pot, an access pump, weighing scales, mixers, drums, gas burners, gloves and a blue laboratory coat.
Marwa said the recovery, CCTV footage, forensic evidence and eyewitness accounts had strengthened the case against those linked to the drug network.
He warned that Nigeria would not become a safe haven for international drug cartels seeking to relocate their operations to the country.
Marwa also commended personnel of the Special Operations Unit, Strike Force, Forensics, and the Ogun, Oyo and Ebonyi State Commands for their roles in the operations.
He vowed that the agency would continue investigating the case until the wider network, including its financiers and local collaborators, was brought to justice.
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