According to a BBC report, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels have relocated their methamphetamine production to Nigeria, taking advantage of the country's remote forests, cheap labor, and access to shipping routes. In recent months, local security forces raided two hidden labs in southwestern Nigeria, arresting Mexican and Nigerian nationals and seizing over two tons of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $360 million. The report notes that meth, unlike plant-based drugs, can be produced anywhere with the right chemicals and expertise, making West Africa an attractive hub.
BBC brings attention to a new front in the global drug trade. According to the report, the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels — among the most powerful in Mexico — have established methamphetamine laboratories in Nigeria's remote southwestern forests. The move exploits the region's weak regulation of chemical imports, cheap labor, and access to shipping lanes to Europe and Asia. Local security forces conducted two raids in recent months, arresting Mexican and Nigerian nationals and seizing over two metric tons of meth, with an estimated street value of $360 million. The report notes that synthetic drugs like meth can be produced anywhere with the necessary chemicals and expertise, unlike plant-based narcotics, making West Africa an attractive hub for cartels seeking to evade enforcement in the Americas.
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