The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA)
yesterday said it has arrested four expatriates and four Nigerians in
connection with the operation of a super methamphetamine laboratory.
Speaking at the NDLEA office, the Col.
Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah, said the expatriates were Mexicans. This is not the
first time foreigners have been arrested in connection with running methamphetamine
laboratory. Before the arrest of this Mexicans, some Bolivians had been
arrested.
The illicit laboratory
was busted by operatives of the Special Enforcement Team (SET) of the NDLEA.
This team laid carried out surveillance on the laboratory and its function
before swooping them. The suspects were arrested before they could complete a
full circle of 4,000kg, which street value would be over N2billion.
The swoop on this laboratory located in Delta
State, would make it the 11th one, known for methamphetamine production,
which the agency would be busting.
The Nigerians suspects are believed to be joint
owners of the laboratory, while the four Mexicans are methamphetamine
production experts hired as technical partners.
The Nigerians suspects are identified as Chief
Chibi Aruh, William Ejike Agusi, Umolu Kosisochukwu and Umolu
Ckukwemeka.
The Mexicans are Cervantos Madrid Jose Bruno, Rivas
Ruiz Pastiano, Castillo Barraza Cristobal and Partida Gonzalez Pedro.
Interestingly, all the Nigerians suspects denied involvement,
while the Mexicans claimed they couldn’t speak or understand English Language.
Abdallah described the operation as technical
undercover assignment, leading to the dismantling of a drug trafficking
organization.
His words: “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 because of
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 NDLEA boss continued: “This super
methamphetamine laboratory, similar to the ones found in Mexico is the first to
be discovered in the country. The laboratory has a capacity of producing
between 3,000kg to 4,000kg of methamphetamine per production cycle. 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 said that the laboratory was raided while
the second production cycle was on-going. 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 a
Toyota Corolla car.
No comments:
Post a Comment