The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a transnational drug syndicate operating from a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory hidden inside a forest in Ogun State.

The agency said the operation, carried out by its Special Operations Unit, led to the arrest of 10 suspects, including a cartel kingpin, three Mexican nationals, and six Nigerian collaborators.

NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), said the laboratory was concealed in a forest in Ijebu East Local Government Area and used for large-scale meth production under the guise of a farm settlement.

He explained that coordinated raids across Ogun and Lagos followed months of intelligence gathering, leading to the arrest of the suspected ringleader in Lekki alongside other members of the network.

The agency also recovered about 2,419 kilograms of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals valued at over ₦480 billion in the international market.

Marwa warned that the NDLEA would continue targeting drug cartels operating within Nigeria, stressing that criminal networks using forests and residential estates for drug production would be dismantled.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities, noting that the operation prevented a major influx of dangerous drugs into local and international markets.