How Mexican drug cartels have outsourced meth labs to Nigeria

Core point

The Nigerian judge was formally dressed, and the lawyers maintained legal decorum during a hearing inside an alleged illicit drug laboratory. Three Mexicans and seven Nigerians were paraded in handcuffs as Justice Musa Kakaki inspected the chemicals and equipment used to produce methamphetamine. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) described the suspects' arrest in May as the country's largest-ever meth bust, discovering over two tonnes of the drug worth approximately $360 million. The NDLEA has reported a growing trend of criminal cartels using Africa, particularly West Africa, as a production base for synthetic drugs.