NDLEA officials busted and dismantled the laboratory where the
illicit drug popularly called Mkpuru Mmiri is being produced and
distributed across Nigeria and abroad.
Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa disclosed this on
Tuesday, August 2, 2022 when he addressed the media on the development.
He said following the outbreak of crystal methamphetamine abuse in
the last quarter of 2021, predominantly in the South East and the cry
for help from many communities in the region because of the devastating
effects the distribution and abuse of the dangerous stimulant drug were
having on their youths and others, the Agency deployed all available
assets to find the primary source of manufacturing of the drug in
Nigeria and arrest the barons behind it.
Marwa said efforts in the past seven months against the cartel
behind the Methamphetamine scourge have led to the arrest of four
kingpins and a cook.
"Now, we have added two barons and another cook. This no doubt
is a loud statement to those involved in the criminal illicit drug trade
that its time for them to quit or risk losing it all; that is losing
their freedom, investment and assets acquired through proceeds from the
illegal business,"
"I am pleased to inform the public today that, after months of
painstaking intelligence gathering, diligent tracking and coordinated
offensive action, we recorded a breakthrough on Saturday, July 30, 2022,
when officers and men of the Agency successfully busted two
methamphetamine manufacturing facilities, called Meth Laboratories in
Lagos and Anambra.
"The one in Nise Community, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State was owned by Paul Ozoemenam.
The owners of these two illicit meth laboratories were successfully
arrested alongside Sunday Ukah from Aba, Abia State, the cook or
chemist that produced the drugs for them.
Marwa said he is addressing the public about the weekend busts to
raise peoples awareness of the danger that meth production constitutes
to public health and the modus operandi of the barons involved in the
unwholesome activity.
The NDLEA boss said the lab busts also exposed the inter-connectivity among syndicates involved in meth production, adding
that the cook was hired by both producers to produce for the VGC lab, as
well as the lab in Anambra.
He urged members of the public to be sensitive to their environment.
"As we step up the offensive against drug traffickers, we want
the public to be more vigilant and be aware of the fact that producers
of methamphetamine always choose unsuspecting environments with tight
security, like the VGC estate, in this case. And the reason is not
far-fetched: They choose secured estates to prevent law enforcement
agents from monitoring their activities. They also locate meth labs in
remote unsuspecting communities where residents would not be aware of
their activities,"
"It is very important to note that the waste from
methamphetamine production is dangerous to the ecosystem. The chemicals
are toxic and once they seep into the soil, they contaminate the water
table from which surrounding wells and boreholes draw their water,"
"And citizens who unwittingly consume the water from such
sources are exposed to heart and kidney ailments and other organ
diseases. Neighbours, too, who inhale gases from the lab, are also
susceptible to the same risk. What makes it worse is that the production
usually takes place in the middle of the night, between 11 pm and 4 am,
and therefore, unsuspecting neighbours could have been exposed to the
hazards for months or even years.”
Marwa commended the professionalism of the intelligence led special units assigned the task.
"Our forensic experts and the 200-man strike force team that we
deployed who were the operational arm that executed the mission of
dismantling the labs, seizing the crystal meth, precursors,
paraphernalia and arresting the culprits.” he added.
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