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Tag: hard drugs

  • NDLEA bursts hard drugs laboratory in Asaba

    NDLEA bursts hard drugs laboratory in Asaba

    • Arrests 4 Mexicans, 4 Nigerians

    The National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has discovered a super methamphetamine laboratory where hard drugs are manufactured in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

    Eight persons, including four Nigerians and four Mexicans were arrested with 1. 5 kilogrammes of the drugs with a street value of $1million.

    One kilogramme of methamphetamine, according to the NDLEA, is valued at a street price of $600, 000.

    The laboratory, according to the NDLEA, is similar to the ones found in Mexico with capacity to produce from 3,000 to 4, 000 kilograms per production circle.

    If the suspects had completed the production circle at the illicit factory in Asaba, the drug would have commanded a street value of $2 billion.

    NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, said the laboratory was discovered by the special enforcement team of the agency.

    He disclosed that the arrested Nigerians are believed to be joint owners of the laboratory with the four Mexicans who are allegedly methamphetamine production experts hired as technical partners.

    The NDLEA boss gave the names of the suspects as Chief Chibi Aruh, William Ejike Agusi, Umolu Kosisochukwu and Umolu Ckukwemeka, while the Mexicans are Cervantos Madrid Jose Bruno, Rivas Ruiz Pastiano, Castillo Barraza Cristobal and Partida Gonzalez Pedro. “

    He added, “A significant feature of this laboratory is that the production process is more technical and sophisticated, because it uses the synthesis method of methamphetamine production.  All the principal actors linked to this illicit act were apprehended in a simultaneous raid on members of the drug syndicate in Lagos, Obosi in Anambra State and at the laboratory in Asaba, Delta State. In a technical undercover operation, four Mexicans were arrested in active production exercise inside the super laboratory.

    “The cartel first brought two Mexican methamphetamine experts, Cervantos Madrid Jose Bruno and Rivas Ruiz Pastiano to Nigeria, but due to the size of the laboratory coupled with the volume of work, two additional Mexicans, Castillo Barraza Cristobal and Partida Gonzalez Pedro were added. Our investigation revealed that a successful test production was done at the laboratory in February 2016”.

    The laboratory was raided while the second production cycle was ongoing. Items recovered at the laboratory, include 1.5kg of finished methamphetamine and 750 litres of liquid methamphetamine. Other items found in the laboratory include industrial pressure pots, gas cylinders, gas burners, facial masks and numerous chemicals. Also recovered in this operation are Toyota Tundra, Mercedes Benz Jeep ML and Toyota Corolla vehicles.

    The NDLEA boss warned that unless drastic measures are taken against this trend, the rise of super laboratories will put Nigeria on the global spotlight in methamphetamine production.

    He said: “This is because the laboratory operates at an industrial scale with a high yield of 3,000kg to 4,000kgs of methamphetamine per production cycle. Nigeria methamphetamine is now competing with others in Asia and South Africa markets.

    “The super laboratory does not need ephedrine, because it uses the synthesis method. Drug cartels are now shifting from simple method of methamphetamine production to a more complex process. The discovery calls for celebration, because the operation demonstrates the capacity and preparedness of the agency to track down drug cartels irrespective of their covert mode of operation.

    “The threat posed by this laboratory is disturbing, because mass production will make the drug easily available, thereby increasing the rate of abuse. More citizens will equally be targeted by drug cartels that are searching for drug mules to smuggle drugs outside the country. This has the tendency to increase the number of Nigerians in foreign prisons thereby affecting the image of our country.”

  • Hard drugs factory found in Delta, 4 Mexicans arrested

    Hard drugs factory found in Delta, 4 Mexicans arrested

    A super methamphetamine laboratory where some drug barons involved in the illicit production of the hard drugs has been discovered in Asaba, Delta State .
    Eight persons, including four Nigerians and Mexicans were arrested with 1. 5 kilograms of the drug with street value of $ 1million .
    One kilogram of Methamphetamine according to the NDLEA is valued at $600, 000 street price .
    This super methamphetamine laboratory according to the NDLEA is similar to the ones found in Mexico with capacity to produce between 3,000 to 4, 000 kilograms in per production circles .
    If the suspects had completed the production circle at the illicit factory in Asaba, the drug would have had street value of $2 billion .
    NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah said the super laboratory was discovered by the special enforcement team of the agency.
    He said the Nigerians arrested are believed to be joint owners of the laboratory and four Mexicans who are methamphetamine production experts hired as technical partners into the country.
    The NDLEA boss gave the names of the suspects are Chief Chibi Aruh, William Ejike Agusi, Umolu Kosisochukwu and Umolu Ckukwemeka. Others are Cervantos Madrid Jose Bruno, Rivas Ruiz Pastiano, Castillo Barraza Cristobal and Partida Gonzalez Pedro.
    Abdallah described the operation as technical undercover assignment leading to the dismantling of a drug trafficking organization.
    “A significant feature of this laboratory is that the production process is more technical and sophisticated because it uses the synthesis method of methamphetamine production. All the principal actors linked to this illicit act were apprehended in a simultaneous raid on members of the drug syndicate in Lagos, Obosi in Anambra state and at the laboratory in Asaba, Delta state” Abdallah stated.

  • Niger: NDLEA arrests 286 suspects, seizes hard drugs

    Niger: NDLEA arrests 286 suspects, seizes hard drugs

    A seizure of 1,614.529 kg of various hard drugs and arrest of 286 suspects was made by the Niger State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) between January 2015 and January 2016, the State Commander, Mr. Joseph Iweanjuwa has disclosed.

    Addressing newsmen in his office Wednesday, Iweanjuwa said the command convicted 66 offenders, 87 youths were counseled and rehabilitated while 8,400 ml of cough syrup with codeine was mopped up to prevent abuse.

    “A breakdown of the drug seizures in 2015 are; 1,320 kg of dried weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa, 44.27kg of Diazepam Tablets, 161.21 kg of Tramadol Tablets, 32.37 kg of Extol-5, 3.038kg of Rohypnol, 14.66kg of Nitrazepam and 0.0014kg of Cocaine”, the Commander said.

    Iweanjuwa also disclosed that 12,000 tonnes of seized drugs are ready for destruction stating that the command is waiting for the permission of the court to carry out the exercise.

    He lamented the increase of young women in the state who are involved in the abuse of cough syrup with codeine stating that this drug is gradually taking the place of alcohol in the state.

    The NDLEA Boss pointed out that the agency needs to recruit more hands to beef up its manpower stressing that all hands must be on deck to stop drug abuse in the nation as drug problem is not the responsibility and duty of government and NDLEA alone.

  • Taking of hard drugs is suicidal, commissioner tells youths

    Taking of hard drugs is suicidal, commissioner tells youths

    Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development Princess Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf has advised youths to shun hard drugs.

    She gave the advice yesterday at the maiden National Youth Summit on Drugs/Substance Abuse Prevention, held at Bible Guest House in Palm Grove, Lagos.

    Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf said: “Drug abuse and illicit trafficking are the primary reasons why many youths are incarcerated. By so doing, they become major perpetrators of crime as a result of mental disorders.

    “The increasing number of youths in prisons over the last few years is due to their involvement in drugs. As a matter of fact, majority of them were arrested and convicted, while many have drug abuse problems.

    “Your continuous involvement in drug abuse and illicit trafficking is like committing suicide, killing your family dream, destroying community and communal togetherness, and by extension, destroying your generation. The money from drug trafficking will not last but bring shame, disgrace and untimely death.”

    The commissioner said government had introduced some school activities to channel the energy of youths towards profitable ventures.

    “Our ministry has constructed youth centres and playgrounds across the state for various youth empowerment and recreational activities. We also collaborate with other ministries to promote information and education on the dangers inherent in the abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs,” she said.

    Mrs Akinbile-Yussuf solicited for community support to government‘s efforts to yield results.

    “Community support will help to prevent, treat, rehabilitate and accept those addicted to substances. This effort will boost war on drug trafficking as declared by the Federal Government using various agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) among others.”

  • Shun hard drugs, Lagos commissioner tells youths

    Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Princess (Mrs) Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, has advised youths to shun consumption of hard drugs and drug trafficking.

    Akinbile-Yusuf gave the advice Tuesday at the maiden edition of National Youth Summit on Drugs/Substance Abuse Prevention, held at Bible Guest House, Palm Grove in the state.

    She noted that drug abuse and drug trafficking are some of the most pervasive problems confronting the government and young people with consequences on the family, the community and the nation.

    She said: “Drug abuse and illicit trafficking is the primary reason why many youths are incarcerated. By so doing, they become major perpetrators of crime as a result of mental disorders and health problem.”

    She stated that the menace of hard drug consumption has become a thing of great concern to the government.

    “The increasing numbers of youths in prisons across the country over the last few years are due to their involvement in drug. As a matter of fact, majority of them were arrested and convicted, while many have drug abuse problems.

    “Your continuous involvement in drug abuse and illicit trafficking is like committing suicide, killing your family dream, destroying community and communal togetherness, and by extension, destroying your generation. The money from drug trafficking will not last but one day bring shame, disgrace and untimely death.”

    The commissioner further revealed that the government through its agencies implements various in and out of school youth activities in order to channel the energy in young people towards profitable ventures.
    “Our ministry has constructed youth centres and playgrounds across the state for various youth empowerment and recreational activities. We also collaborate with other ministry like Ministry of Health to promote information and education on the dangers inherent in the abuse and illicit trafficking of drugs,” she said.

    Akinbile-Yusuf solicited for community support in order for all government’s efforts to yield good results.

    “Community support will help to prevent, treat, rehabilitate and accept those addicted to substances. This effort will boost war on drug as declared by the Federal Government using various agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) among others.”

  • Corps members sensitise youths on hard drugs

    Members of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Community Development Service

    (CDS) group of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Lagos have held a sensitisation rally to educate the public on the dangers of hard drugs.

    The event , which was held in Ojota, had the objective to create awareness on the consequence of intake of hard drugs and how it affects body system.

    The procession took off at New Garage Bus Stop. The Corps members moved round the streets and main road, talking to the youth and commercial drivers. The use of hard drugs, the admonished, endangers lives and wellbeing. The Corps members ended the rally at Ojota Bus Stop.

    Maureen Achugbu, a member of the CDS group, said some youths promised to change during the rally. She said: “We met some youths, who confessed to be using hard drugs and they promised to change after we educated them on the danger such conduct portends for their lives.”

    President of the CDS group, Olaitan Ogunwande, said: “Our aim is to sensitise Lagosians on the harmful effects of drug abuse. We have achieved some level of success but we hope to organise more sensitisation rallies in other cities, so that youths will drop the habit.”

    He said group had held rallies in areas, such as Surulere and Ojuelegba, adding that the Corps members intend to hold similar event in Mosun Okunola Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Ipaja.

    The Lagos commander of NDLEA, Mr Aliyu Sule, who was represented by a principal staff officer in Drug Demand Reduction Unit, Mrs Titilayo Ogunluyi, hailed the Corps members for the event, saying it would complement the agency’s effort to reach out to the public in eradicating use of harmful drugs.

     

     

  • Troops find hard drugs in Boko Haram camps

    Troops find hard drugs in Boko Haram camps

    The Army said yesterday its troops usually find condoms, hard drugs and sex-enhancing drugs in camps captured from Boko Haram insurgents.

    Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman, said the findings underlined the military’s belief that most Boko Haram militants were not grounded in Islam and were not driven by Islamic ideology.

    He said many of the insurgents so far arrested could not even recite the Quoran, Islam’s Holy book.

    He said those arrested by Army’s 3rd Division troops yesterday were found to be the suppliers of hard drugs and other stimulants to terrorists.

    They were nabbed between Depchi and Geidam, Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe State

    He said: “The arrested persons were also engaged in the supply of fuel in addition to hard drugs such as Cannabis (Indian Hemp), Chlorofone substance (AKA Madaran suck and die) and Tramol, amongst others.

    “You will recall that sometimes ago we reported that ironically most of the Boko Haram terrorists captured by Nigerian military cannot read the Holy Qur’an, some of them cannot even recite the first chapter- Suratuh Al-Fatiha and yet they claimed they wanted to establish an ‘Islamic State’.

    “When the Nigerian military captured their bases and training camps, they never found Qur’an or other Islamic books, what were mostly found were ammunition, local charms, condoms and all sort of drugs including sex enhancing ones in their enclaves.

    “The arrest of these drug suppliers has reinforced that fact, more so as they have been making very useful statements.”

  • NDLEA, medicine dealers tackle hard drugs

    NDLEA, medicine dealers tackle hard drugs

    Two things were on the agenda when patent medicine dealers and personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) gathered in Enugu State for a one-day seminar organised by the anti-drug agency. One was how the medicine dealers could improve on their trade for the over-all good of the consumers. The other was the dangers of hard drug and how its use could be controlled.

    Over 1000 dealers from all the local government councils of Enugu State as well chiefs of security agencies were attended the event.

    The Enugu State commander of the NDLEA, Anthony Ohanyere in his welcome address told participants that three topics were to be treated. These include “Patent Medicine Practice, Scope and Limitations” which has been articulated to enlighten patent medicine practitioners on the do’s and don’ts of their profession.

    The second, he said, was “Hard Drug Consumption and Criminal Liability: Issue of drug control” as crucial in the sense that patent medicine are vulnerable to frequent arrests for dispensing psychotropic substances.

    The third topic “Consequences of drug abuse on National Development was carefully selected to sensitise all participants on the need to be conscious of the implications of drug abuse on the nation and its development.

    Ohanyere told the participants at the seminar that the only way patent medicine dealers can earn their well deserved respect among the populace was by sticking to the necessary rules and regulations guiding the practice.

    “There is therefore the need for members to be aware of the implications of being caught with such substances,” he admonished.

    The commander said: “It is my belief that at the end of the seminar, we would all be more enlightened and better prepared to face the challenges occasioned by the unfortunate incidence of drug abuse and trafficking.”

    One revelation made at the seminar was that everybody abuses or consumes hard drug almost on a daily basis. The revelation was made by one of the resource persons at the seminar, Jacob Momodu. According to him, “the man that drinks coffee each morning either at home or in the office is consuming drug; the colanut ritualized and eaten at each celebration at any gathering here in Enugu state is drug consumption; the accomplished banker who settles down with a bottle of beer at the end of the day is consuming drug.”

    Momodu, however, explained that the difference in the categories of drug consumption were that some “took socially acceptable drugs – kolanut, beer etc while others took to pathological drug to prevent diseases while yet others consumed hard drug abused volatile substances.”

    He said that although all these were the norm, the one purpose of the seminar was hard drugs which he described as “the opposite of medicine or orthodox drug. It is just as night is today, as good is to bad; it is the functional street and household names for narcotic drugs psychotropic substance.”

    He said the crescendo of drug consumption is addiction and drug addiction is the physiological and psychological dependence on drug of abuse. Adding that an addict goes to any length to steal, pawn valuables, undergo illegitimate means such as prostitution, begging and telling lies to getting his drug of abuse.

    He expressed fears that there was enough evidence to show, at any rate, a growing and unbroken trend of hard drug consumption and criminality in Enugu state. “It cuts across all social strata. Research report has shown that the adolescents and young adults who are the future and hope of the society constitute a risk for hard drug consumption and subsequent criminality.

    At the seminar, the patent medicine dealers were educated on their limitations. These includeselling products in their original packs, boxes, packets, foils and covers as packed by the manufacturer and he the unit pack sizes that may be sold by vendors are limited to 100s and below for tablets 200ml or less for liquid preparation, vendors shall procure medicine from registered premises, they must not engage in surgical procedures and they shall not run hospitals, maternity and clinics.

    They are also not to engage in administering injections or set up IVF, they must not open or operate branches of their of their licensed shops and shall not advertise drugs for the cure, treatment, prevention of diseases specified in the schedule of the Food and Drug Decree of 1990.

    They shall as well not deal in narcotics and psychotropic substances as these products are drugs classified into cannabinoids-marijuana, depressants-barbitutates and BDZs, dossociative anaesthetics and hallucinogens-mescaline and LSD.

  • NDLEA chief to chair police lecture on hard drugs

    The Rivers State chapter of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) will hold its 2012 annual conference with the theme: Hard drugs: a threat to community and national security, on November 22.

    The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Ahmadu Giade, will chair the conference.

    The state’s PCRC Chairman Austen Yong said the conference will hold at the Main Hall of the Ministry of Justice in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    He said the conference will examine the nexus between drug trafficking and insecurity in the country.

    Yong said: “The PCRC conference will draw attention to the nexus between drug abuse and criminality, especially at the community level and in the nation. This is with the view to remedy the situation through multi-sectoral collaboration.”

    Topics to be examined include: Consequences of substance abuse on youths in Nigeria, by Mohammad A. Umar; Access to justice, policing narcotics: the indispensible role of the community, by Dr. N. D Nte, Head of Department, Intelligence and Security Studies, Novena University, Ogume, Delta State; War against illicit drugs: the effective media/security agencies collaboration, by the HOD Mass Communication, Rivers State University.

    Dignitaries expected on the occasion include the Minister of Youths; the Inspector-General of Police; the Comptroller-General of Customs; the National President of PCRC, Alhaji Ahmed Tahir; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Narcotics as well as the President , African Business School, Dr. Goddy Idaminabo.