drug production

The fight against illicit drugs in the country has recorded a huge
success with the discovery of a clandestine laboratory used in the
production of methamphetamine a dangerous drug that can destroy the
nervous system and cause hallucination.
The laboratory, a three bedroom bungalow located at Monkey village
Iba a suburb in the state has a locally built equipment that has the
“capacity of procuring 20-50 kilogrames per cycle , large production
centre similar to the ones found in Mexico.” the NDLEA said.
Two suspects Bernard Umezuike 44, and Polycarp Ndilobi 41 were
arrested in connection with the illicit laboratory.
Mr. Umezurike is allegedly the owner of the apartment used for the
illicit production and the laboratory has been operation since last
April.
Luck ran out on the suspects when a worker in the laboratory and
alerted police of the secret laboratory and the NDLEA officers were
alerted to the scene of the crime.
Ahmadu Giade the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA said the
discovery of the laboratory is a landmark success. “This discovery is
the first of its type in west Africa and the country” Mr.Giade said .
The NDLEA boss describe methamphetamine as a killer drug with a
street value worth millions of naira. “The drug is a white odourless ,
bitter-tasting crystalline powders that easily dissolves in water or
alcohol and it is usually taken orally or intra-nasally by snorting
the powder or by the needle injection or by smoking” Mr. Giade said .
Street names for methamphetamine a derivative of Amphetamine include
“speed”, “meth”, “chalk”, “ice”. Cystal” and “glass”
“it is a strong stimulant that affects the central nervous system, the
abuse of even a small amount of methamphetamine can lead to many
negative and long term effects like extreme weight loss, severe dental
problems also known as “meth Mouth” anxiety, confusion, insomnia ,
mood disturbance, violence behaviour and other psychotic features like
hallucination.Mr. Giade said.
In order to curtail the adverse effect the drug poses to the
environment , the NDLEA boss said the country has invited forensic
experts from the US to help “dismantle the laboratory in a safe manner
,and they have commence the clean up process”
Unfortunately despite the cleansing process,Mr. Gaide said the
adverse effect of the drug will be difficult to wipe out completely
“the process adopted in the production of methamphetamine by the
suspect is very dangerous as the process usually emits gases like
phosphine and hydrogen chloride that can cause instant pulmonary
damages and death.
Besides, the toxic waste that percolated the soil is capable of
contaminating the soil and the wells of surrounding premises”Mr. Giade
said.
As a way of checking future incident, Mr. Giade urged the public to be
vigilant and to report suspected cases to the law enforcement
agencies. He also advise that the members of the public should purse
legitimate means of livelihood as the agency is well equipped to
detect and arrest drug barons and traffickers in the country adding
that the agency has began investigation into the case, and
preliminary investigations reveal that the suspects have international
connection in Mexico,
“ we have discovered a site where the illicit laboratory is located
there is a site two and we will locate that site soon, investigations
also reveals that the illicit drug is being produced for export and
not to be used in the country as its street value in Nigeria is too
low but very profitable in other country.
According to the NDLEA boss, One kilogramme of methamphetamine has a
street value in Nigeria cost N2.4million, while in a Japan it cost
N13.3million for a kilogramme, in Singapore a kilogrammes of
methamphetamine has a street value of N18million.
The suspects however denied the allegation.
Mr. Umezurike said “I do not know anything about this crime; I was
just standing in front of my house doing what every person living in a
house is doing when I was arrested”
Mitchell Ofoyeju, the spokes person of the NDLEA said the suspects
will soon be arraigned in court to face prosecution.
“The penalty for production of illicit drugs in the country is life
imprisonment; apart from its other effects to the health,
methamphetamine is also highly combustive and can be used for
explosives, we are soliciting the cooperation of the public to with
useful information to call the agency on 08062199999.” Mr. Ofoyeju
said .