Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has raised the alarm that Mexican drug cartels are increasingly shifting their operations to Africa as mounting pressure from law enforcement agencies in other parts of the world forces them to seek new bases.
Marwa disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while receiving the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Fouad, during a courtesy visit, where both countries discussed strengthening cooperation against illicit drug trafficking.
The NDLEA boss said the emerging trend was evident in the agency’s recent dismantling of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories operated by Mexican nationals in Nigeria.
According to him, one of the meth labs, valued at about $362 million, was successfully taken down deep inside a Nigerian forest, while another clandestine laboratory linked to Mexican operators was also dismantled in another state.
“They are coming this way from Mexico, and just about two months ago, we were able to take down a methamphetamine lab worth $362 million. The Mexicans themselves were manufacturing it in Nigeria, in the deep jungle, but we were able to take it down. We’ve also dismantled another meth lab run by some other Mexicans in a different state recently,” Marwa said.
He attributed the development to intensified anti-drug enforcement in other regions of the world.
“We’ve had recent headaches because of the pressure from elsewhere, so the drug cartels are trying to find other alternatives in Africa, but we have to stay united and push them out of our continent,” he added.
Marwa stressed that the growing threat underscores the need for stronger collaboration among African countries, announcing that the NDLEA is preparing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Egyptian counterpart to facilitate intelligence sharing, joint operations and training.
He said the agency already works closely with international partners, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the UK’s National Crime Agency, the UK Border Force, the French Police, the German Criminal Police and India’s Narcotics Control Bureau.
According to him, institutionalising cooperation with Egypt would further strengthen Africa’s collective response to transnational drug trafficking and organised crime.
Earlier, Egyptian Ambassador Mohammed Fouad described narcotics trafficking as a common challenge requiring a united response, saying Egypt was committed to deepening bilateral cooperation with Nigeria.
He said both countries, as leading African nations, have a responsibility to work together to combat illicit drug trafficking, which continues to threaten societies across the continent.
