The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arraigned an alleged drug baron, Anochili Innocent, three Mexican nationals and six other Nigerians before the Federal High Court in Lagos over the operation of a large clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in Ogun State.

The defendants appeared before Justice Musa Kakaki on an 11-count charge bordering on conspiracy, drug trafficking, unlawful production and possession of methamphetamine, as well as the transportation and storage of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of illicit drugs.

According to the NDLEA, the suspects were arrested during coordinated operations in Ogun and Lagos States between May 16 and 18, 2026. The agency said operatives recovered 2,419.48 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated international street value of over N480 billion, along with large quantities of precursor chemicals at the laboratory hidden in a forest in Mowe, Ogun State.

All ten defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following arguments by the prosecution and defence, the court ordered that they be remanded at the Lagos Correctional Centre and adjourned the case to July 16 and 22 for the commencement of trial and hearing of their bail applications.

Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), described the case as one of the agency’s most significant operations against industrial-scale drug production in Nigeria. He said the involvement of Mexican nationals highlights the growing attempts by international drug cartels to use Nigeria as a manufacturing hub for illicit drugs, adding that the agency remains committed to dismantling such criminal networks.

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