Beware! New killer drug in town says NDLEA

Emeka Ibemere

For those who derive joy taking addictive stimulant, this report may help you. A new silent killer substance known as methamphetamine is in town.

Not only that the drug is in town; the factories have been erected in some remote areas of the country.

The drug according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is too dangerous to use.

 Prior to now, hashish, marijuana; known as Indian hemp in local parlance, heroin, cocaine, morphine, and other cracks were popular illicit drugs peddled and abused in Nigeria.

In the last five years, a more dangerous methamphetamine has been added to the lists of illicit drugs peddled and abused by Nigerians.

NDLEA says it’s more severe than the popular Indian hemp commonly abused in the country by both the poor and the rich. NDLEA says Methamphetamine is a powerful addictive stimulant that affects the central nervous system.

Experts stated that methamphetamine is locally produced and smuggled to South Africa, Asia, Europe and America, where the demands are higher.

Methamphetamine laboratory could be detected by a strong smell of urine or unusual chemicals. It’s always in liquid form and contained in jars with a white or red colour of solid on the bottom and chemicals when it has not been mixed.

Experts said Methamphetamine is a whitish, odourless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder. It is often called meth, chalk, ice and crystal.

Daily Newswatch gathered that out of total of 4,100.077kg of drugs that were seized from the women traffickers last year, methamphetamine was highly trafficked.

The drugs seized include cannabis, psychotropic substances, heroin and cocaine. A total of 233,699.875kg of narcotics were seized in 2012, 1,404.27 hectares of cannabis plantation were also destroyed. 8,052 suspected drug traffickers were arrested. The drug seizures with an estimated street value of over N33bn consist of 228,794.13kg of cannabis, 3,905.447kg of psychotropic substances, 461.15kg of ephedrine, 211.325kg of heroin, 176.55kg of methamphetamine, 131.888kg of cocaine and 19.385kg of methamphetamine. 

According to Mary L Gavin, in her January 2014 review in KidsHealth, Methamphetamines are stimulants. It is a stimulant that speeds up ones brain. They are produced as pills, powders, or chunky crystals called ice.

She explains that the crystal form, nicknamed crystal meth, is a popular drug, especially with young adults and for those who frequently go to dance clubs and parties.

“Sometimes Called: speed, uppers, meth, crystal meth, chalk, ice, glass, and Christmas tree, and crank”, she wrote

“How they’re used: Methamphetamines are swallowed, inhaled, smoked, or injected into a vein”.

Gavin further explains what the drugs do to an individual. According to her, when       Swallowed or snorted which is also called bumping; methamphetamines give the user an intense high. Injections create a quick but strong, intense high, called a rush or a flash.

“Methamphetamines, like regular amphetamines, also take away appetite. It is a dangerous strategy sometimes used by people trying to lose weight quickly”, she stated.

“Methamphetamines give someone the ability to stay awake and do continuous activity with less need for sleep. They pump up a person's heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. They also cause irregular heartbeats, sweating, headaches, blurred vision, dry mouth, hot flashes, and dizziness”.

According to Gavin, people who abuse methamphetamines feel high and full of energy. They think the drug will allow their bodies to keep going and going. But methamphetamines are very damaging to the body and brain, especially with repeated use. Long-term use of methamphetamines can cause brain damage that causes problems with memory and body movement, mood swings, and violent behaviour.

When used in larger doses, methamphetamines can cause dangerously high body temperature, confusion, convulsions- uncontrollable jerking body movements, and even death.

Another Health expert, Godwin Bosede, a medical doctor in Isolo area of Lagos says abusers of methamphetamine could increase the risk of contracting or transmitting HIV and hepatitis B and C.

This, he said could be possible through sharing of contaminated syringes, needles, and other paraphernalia.

“Intoxicating effects of methamphetamine alters judgment and inhibition resulting to unprotected sex and accidents”, he told Daily Newswatch.

Toxins from methamphetamine production could also remain in the environment around a production area long after it has been shut down.

Methamphetamine even in small doses could also increase wakefulness and physical activity while also decreasing appetite.

It medically confirmed to cause cardiovascular problems such as rapid heart rate, irregular heartbeat and increased blood pressure. Chronic abuse is characterised by anxiety, confusion, insomnia, mood disturbances, and violent behaviour. Other features include paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations as well as delusions. Buildings used methamphetamine factories are not safe for habitation. “A house used for the illicit production of methamphetamine is simply a death trap. Tenants moving into new buildings are hereby advised to carry out discreet investigations before packing in”, Ofoyeju Mitchell said.

Aside its side effect, methamphetamine is a neurotoxin and potent psycho- stimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine classes that is used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity.

However, the six areas in Lagos State where laboratories have been discovered are in Monkey Village, Iba area of Lagos; Daily Times Estate, Satellite Town; Silver Estate, Isolo; and now Shapeti, area of Lekki. The six clandestine factories of the methamphetamine also include one located in Nanka, Anambra State.

The growing discovery of illegal methamphetamine production plants in Lagos is giving the Lagos State Government and the NDLEA, a serious concern.

The new discovery of clandestine laboratories for methamphetamine production in Lagos is the first alarm of insecurity in the state”, Mr. Fashola said at a meeting with NDLEA’s boss, Ahmadu Giade, at the state house in Alausa earlier last year.

The first Clandestine Laboratory in the country was discovered in 2011. The accused persons have been charged to court and the case is still on-going.

The hard drug manufacturing company in Kirikiri Town, Lagos, on February 3, 2012 and another plant later where similar drug was also uncovered at Satellite Town in Oriade Local Government Council Area of the state put the State in concern.

The drugs, according to the agency, tested positive for methamphetamine.  Three Bolivians and a Nigerian were arrested in connection with the discovery.  Two brothers were also declared wanted by the anti-drug agency for allegedly being accomplices to the arrested suspects.

It was gathered that the arrested suspects were currently being tried and would be prosecuted and deported after the end of their jail sentence. It was learnt that the company had been in operation for the past eight months in Nigeria before their arrest and closure. Daily Newswatch investigation shows that in the last three years, methamphetamine has been the most sought drug ever by the drug peddlers and abusers in Nigeria, a trend that gives the anti-drug agency a serious concern.

Our check revealed that out of several arrests made last year and earlier 2014, show higher patronage of the killer drug by the merchants of the killer drugs.

Mostly youths and women have been recruited to ferry the drugs to Europe and America where the drug are said to be highly needed. The cost of the price of the drug is also high in Europe and South Africa.

Over 300 suspects were arrested at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport last year and about two clandestine factories discovered, this explains that methamphetamine is now locally produced in Nigeria.

 Before now, Nigeria is known as a transit or route country for all kinds of illicit drugs except marijuana which is produced in Nigeria because of the shrubbery nature of some states in Nigeria. But with the manufacturing of methamphetamine in Nigeria, the country may have entered the list of drug producing countries as well as transit country. “From this stand, I won’t be surprise if we are soon classified as a consumer country,” Mrs Ubochi Jonathan quipped.

On Monday, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested another peddler of methamphetamine in Lagos State, making it three suspects in the last one week. The agency aborted a plot to export 9.2kg of methamphetamine hidden inside palm oil to South Africa.

The discovery was made during screening of cargoes on a South African Airline flight at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos.

A taxi driver who brought the consignment has been apprehended by anti-narcotic officials.

NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, while confirming the arrest gave the name of the taxi driver as Okwuokei Peter.

“A taxi driver by name Okwuokei Peter has been arrested for attempting to export 9.2kg of methamphetamine to South Africa. The drug was packed in forty-one (41) parcels and hidden inside a gallon containing palm oil,” Hamza stated.

But the suspect in his statement said that he was sending the drug to his regular passenger. Hear him:

“One of my regular passengers asked me to send the gallon of oil to him. I thought I was doing him a favour but little did I know that it will land me in a big trouble. He called me and asked me to collect a gallon of palm oil from somebody”, he added. “When I got to the Estate junction as directed by him, a young man walked up to me and asked if I am Peter, I said yes then he gave me the gallon of sealed palm oil. At the airport, it was found to contain drugs during search. In fact, I am speechless, confused and frustrated”.

According to investigation, the suspect is from Delta State but lives in Lagos with his wife and four children.

Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade urged members of the public not to get involved in drug trafficking.

“Members of the public are advised in their interest to shun drug trafficking. Ignorance is not an excuse under the Act. If you are not sure that consignment is drug-free, then do not take it for export otherwise you are liable. People must be cautious,” Giade stated.

Section 11, sub section (b) of the NDLEA Act states that anybody who without lawful authority export, transports or otherwise traffics in the drugs popularly known as cocaine, LSD heroine or any other similar drugs shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to be sentenced to imprisonment for life. The suspect will soon be charged to court.

In the same fate was a 32 year old single lady, Chizoba Anya Vivian who is currently being quizzed by anti-narcotic officers for allegedly excreting wraps of substance that tested positive for methamphetamine on-board a Qatar Airline Flight from Malaysia.

The suspect was said to have aroused suspicion following her frequent visit to the toilet. On arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos, three wraps of methamphetamine was found in her possession.

NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, said that the suspect while under observation excreted two additional wraps. “The suspect was found with three wraps which she excreted in the aircraft. While she was under observation at the Lagos airport, she excreted two additional wraps of drugs. The five wraps which tested positive for methamphetamine weighed 80 grammes”.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that the suspect left Ghana where she ingested the drugs to Malaysia. In Malaysia, she was denied entry and made to board another flight back to Nigeria. She started excreting the drugs at the airport in Malaysia.

Vivian in her statement said she was offered N500, 000 to smuggle the drugs to Malaysia.

“I was promised the sum of half a million naira but my problem started when I had immigration problem in Malaysia. I was denied entry and made to return to Nigeria after two days. While in the aircraft, I excreted three wraps and two other wraps in the NDLEA office.” Vivian stated.

Vivian hails from Onitsha and has her Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Administration at the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra State.

“I just completed my HND programme and I am from a very poor family. I wanted to use the money they promised me to assist my siblings by smuggling the drug to Malaysia.” she added.

In the list of top players in the league of traffickers are three suspected female drug traffickers held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. They were arrested over smuggling of 4.500 kilograms of narcotics in their pants and hair wigs by operatives of NDLEA.

Two of the suspects who were to board an Egypt airline flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through Cairo were caught with 3.6 kilograms of methamphetamines neatly hidden in customized under wears and hair wigs, while the other female suspect who claimed to be three months pregnant was found to have ingested 900 grams of substance that tested positive for cocaine.

NDLEA Commander at the Abuja Airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan gave the names of the suspects as Ms Anene Blessing Iruoma, age 26, Ms Obiakor Maryann Okwudili, age 34 and Ms Mbechi Obiageli Susan, age 38.

 "Anene and Obiakor concealed 1.7 kilograms and 1.90 kilograms of methamphetamine respectively in under wears and hair wigs, while Mbechi ingested 900 grams of substance that tested positive for cocaine”, the commander stated.

"The drugs were detected during routine screening of passengers. The suspects are helping narcotic officials in our investigation. Anene who hails from Igbariam in Anambra State with Passport number A03660604 was found to be wearing a customized brazier, pants and hair wig all stuffed with substances which tested positive for methamphetamine weighing 1.7 kilograms. Obiakor who hails from Nando in Anambra State with passport number A01444553 was apprehended on same flight with Anene. She too concealed 1.90 kilograms of methamphetamine in under wears".

Check shows that it cost around N2.34 million to start a crystal meth production line. Usually the business is run as cartel. A group of drug syndicates pull resources together to create their own production facilities.
It takes average of 100 workers to be involved in methamphetamines while those not directly involved in production could take part in trafficking.
Due to the facts that it is locally produced in Nigeria, there is low pricing of it within the country which has forced the smugglers to look Europe where the price of crystal methamphetamines are higher. Investigation shows that in Nigeria a price of a chunk dropped to N500, per kg to as low.

NDLEA says they are combing the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to search houses for production facilities and track down barons following a raid which seized a record 31.7kg of crystal meth from Lekki village.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, the agency’s Public Relations Officer told Daily Newswatch that citing such dangerous laboratory close to school is highly injurious to public health and safety.

The schools are Rock of Ages Crèche, Nursery and Primary Schools and Regal Gems International School.

It was gathered that the building used for the illegal production has been sealed by NDLEA.

Methamphetamine weighing 31.7kg was also recovered from the laboratory.

A Nissan Xterra Jeep belonging to suspected masterminds of the laboratory was impounded along with other documentary and material evidences.

Michael Anum, a 38 year old businessman who has dual nationality of Nigeria and South Africa was arrested in connection with the laboratory.

Mr. Anum is alleged to be the owner of a transport company in South Africa. The suspect is currently being investigated by the anti-narcotic Agency. 

NDLEA Lagos State Commander, Aliyu Sule who supervised the operation disclosed that the Command acted on intelligence reports.

“We acted on an intelligence report about the illicit activities taking place at the laboratory. When we raided the premises, we observed that methamphetamine production was in progress. A total of 31.7kg of methamphetamine have been seized at the laboratory”, Sule stated.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Ahmadu Giade commended the officers for the discovery. “This latest discovery of illegal Methamphetamine laboratory is commendable. The Agency is determined to arrest this disturbing drug trend in the country. Drug barons have no hiding place in the country because our counter-intelligence service will soon detect their inimical activities and bring them to justice”, Giade said.

 The NDLEA boss added that efforts are ongoing to ascertain a possible link between the suspect and other drug syndicates both within and outside the country.

 “We are working to establish a link between the suspect and other drug syndicates. Our records show that these cartels daily recruit drug mules to smuggle locally produced methamphetamine to South Africa, Asia, Europe and America. The Agency will continue to make the exit points impregnable through superior drug control techniques,” Giade added.

According to the agency, strategies are being adopted by the Agency to address the drug problem. According to the Chairman, this includes capacity building of officers on clandestine laboratory operations.

He said capacity building of officers would be done through series of local and international training programmes

However, the NDLEA boss ordered full degree of investigation into the matter while assuring Nigerians that the Agency would not rest until the threat of narcotics is eliminated.

In his words, “drug cartels locate their laboratories close to schools and residential buildings regardless of the risk of contamination to innocent school children, their teachers and other residents. No matter their antics, we shall continue to dislodge drug production and trafficking syndicates”.