World · 29 July 2026
How do cartels turn Nigeria into a meth hub?
Unsplash / Shina Memud
Nigerian forests now host methamphetamine labs run for Mexico's Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, drawn by weak chemical import rules, cheap local labour and Atlantic shipping access. Nigerian police arrested three Mexicans and seven Nigerians near Lagos in May, seizing two tonnes of meth worth $360 million. Investigators have raided fourteen Mexican-run labs across Africa since 2023, five in Nigeria this year alone.
Reported by BBC News · How we write briefs