Hope James
Two drug barons, Chris Emeka Nzewi, and Paul Ozoemenam, owning factories in Victoria Garden City Estate of Lekki, Lagos, and Nise community of Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State, respectively, met their Waterloo as officers of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) invaded their respective laboratories and made an arrest, alongside Sunday Ukah from Aba, Abia State, the cook or chemist that produced the drugs for them.
These laboratories in Lagos and Anambra states, had until the time of arrest of their barons, produced illicit drugs, including crystal methamphetamine, also known as Mkpuru Mmiri, for local distribution and export.
The agency made it known that, following the rise 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, it devised means to finding the manufacturers of the drug in the country.
The Chairman NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Marwa (retd), in a press conference in Abuja, said efforts in the last seven months against the cartel behind the scourge, led to the arrest of four kingpins and a cook.
He also said that the owner of the VGC laboratory, Lagos, was producing the drug where he lived with his family.
In his words, “On average, the lab produced 50 kilos of methamphetamine every week with plans underway to increase the capacity of production to at least 100kg per week.
“Now, we have added two barons and another cook. This no doubt is a loud statement to those involved in the criminal act- of illicit drug trade that it’s 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”.