The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says there are attempts by international drug cartels to establish a methamphetamine production hub in the south-west of Nigeria.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive, synthetic stimulant that drastically affects the central nervous system. It causes severe physical and psychological damage.

In May, the NDLEA said it dismantled a methamphetamine laboratory in Ogun state.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said in a statement that the operation led to the seizure of over 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and chemical materials valued at more than $362 million, equivalent to over N480 billion in the international market.

He said the industrial-scale laboratory was hidden inside a remote forest in Ijebu east LGA, and was jointly operated by a Nigerian drug cartel and Mexican methamphetamine experts.

Earlier in July, the agency declared Nnamuka Kelvin Uchenna, a suspected drug kingpin, and three of his associates

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