Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have uncovered a secret laboratory producing deadly illicit substance, Methamphetamine, in a residential community located in Ikeja, Lagos State, where already packaged sachets of the drug and various precursor chemicals used in the production were recovered.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Sunday.
Babafemi said the clandestine laboratory, located at 4, Bode Oluwo Street, Mende, Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos State, was stormed by anti-narcotics officers of the Agency on June 6, 2023 after credible intelligence and surveillance confirmed the illicit substance was being produced in the duplex building.
At the end of the search, one kilogram of already produced and packaged methamphetamine, quantities of precursor chemicals and other items used for the production of the deadly drug were recovered from the house while efforts are on to apprehend the fleeing owner of the house.
In the same vein, officers of the Lagos State Command of the Agency on June 5, 2023 arrested two suspects: Wasiu Saliu and Afolabi Banjo, with 247 kilograms of skunk at Oyingbo area of Lagos State.
Tijani Damilola was nabbed at Isheri, also in Lagos State, with 12.5 litres of skuchies and 98kg of cannabis sativa belonging to a fleeing suspect.
It was recovered at Akerele area of Agege.
This was just as 12.5kg of the same substance was seized from Adebowale Babatunde after his arrest at Mushin, Lagos State on June 8.
Meanwhile, a consignment of 3.20kg skunk concealed in native black soap heading to the United Kingdom has been intercepted by NDLEA operatives at the NAHCO export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on June 7.
A freight agent involved in the attempt to export the illicit drug, Olowokudejo Oladele Tonyi, arrested.
Similarly, a bid to export 3,000 pills of Tramadol 225mg concealed inside women hair attachments to Monrovia, Liberia by a cargo agent, Akinwale Taiwo Bolutife, through the MMIA was thwarted by operatives who arrested him during the outward clearance of passengers at the departure gate of Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.
In Benue State, a suspect, Emmanuel Onah, was arrested during a routine stop and search of vehicles at Vandeikya Checkpoint with a total of 61,790 pills of tramadol seized from him on June 8, while another suspect, Ikenna Jonathan Udeze, was nabbed at Otuo-Agor, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State with 208kg cannabis hidden in his Toyota Camry car marked ABJ 117 MR.
No less than 235 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23.5 litres and 1,500 pills of Tramadol and Swinol were recovered on June 9 from Agara Ogbonna, 35, along Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Imo State, just as operatives in Ondo State arrested two suspects: Friday Augustine, 25, and Segun Akintudoye, 20, with 30kg cannabis at B-Ali Junction, Idanre and 10.4kg of the same substance recovered from the home of a fleeing suspect at Oke Odowo, Idanre on June 6 when operatives raided some drug joints in the town.
In Kebbi State, Alin Bala, 45, and Danzaki Alhaji, 52, were arrested on June 8 at Goran Maiyaki, Gwandu LGA with 5.9kg cannabis and 3,792 tablets of diazepam, while 18-year-old Babangida Mande was nabbed on June 9 along Mararaban Yauri-Kebbi Road with 6kg cannabis and 658 tablets of diazepam.
In Osun State, a total of 115.9kg cannabis was recovered from Adewole Abidemi, 31, who was arrested at Araromi Oke Odo in Ife South LGA, with Raji Musa, 25, and Alominile Folashade, 34, nabbed at Gbokuta village in the same LGA on June 5.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA in Lagos; and Imo, Kebbi, Osun, Benue, Edo and Ondo States Commands for the seizures and arrests of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), charged them and their counterparts across the country to remain vigilant and keep their focus on the corporate goal of the Agency.
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