NDLEA seize largest multi-billion naira meth for Nigeria, gbab Mexicans and Nigerians

Di National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) don bust factory wia drug pipo dey use cook illegal drug, methamphetamine, deep inside one forest for Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, southwest Nigeria.

Di anti-drug agency say dis na di largest drug laboratory wey dem dey discova for di kontri, and dem seize chemicals and equipment wey worth about 480 billion naira, wey di drug pipo dey use cook di drug.

Mohammed Buba Marwa, di NDLEA chairman tok say im officers bin carry out di raids based on plenti intelligence information and surveillance wey dem bin don dey do for several months.

Dem discova di drug lab for inside Abidagba forest for Ijebu East Local Govment.

Oga Marwa tok say for di operation, dem arrest 10 suspects, including di cartel leader, plus three Mexican nationals wey be di "technical experts" wey dey supply di knowledge on how to produce di fake drugs, plus six oda Nigerians wey dey work for dia.

"Through clinical, simultaneous operation by di elite operatives of our Special Operations Unit (SOU), we don successfully dismantle one ogbonge transnational methamphetamine production syndicate, run jointly by one Nigerian drug cartel and dia Mexican counterparts," Marwa tok.

"Dis network no dey just traffic drugs; dem dey actively manufacture industrial-scale quantities of highly lethal illicit substances right for our soil, threatening di national security and public health of Nigeria," e add.

Di NDLEA oga say dia officers bin recova more dan 2.4 tonnes of methamphetamine and chemical materials from di site.

Oga Marwa say investigators bin find passports and mobile phones wey belong to di three Mexican suspects for di Lagos residence of di alleged cartel leader, wey link am directly to dia activities.

For August 2022, di NDLEA bin also bust two meth labs for Lagos State and Anambra State for di southern region of Nigeria, and seize more dan 258 kilograms of crystal meth.

Nigeria authorities say methamphetamine production don dey bicom increasing concern for West Africa, wia criminal networks dey expand dia operations.

According to di Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, West Africa na one of di major hub for drug trafficking, while di synthetic drug trade dey grow veri fast for di region for recent years.

Di UN Office on Drugs and Crime bin don identify methamphetamine laboratories for Nigeria, wit drugs wey jaguda pipo dey traffic mainly to East Asia and South Africa.

Sabi pipo say di rising demand for drugs for Europe, tighter security on direct routes from Latin America and di expansion of West African ports don encourage traffickers to dey use di West African route as dia major transit hub.

Wetin be metamphetamine?

Methamphetamine na highly addictive, synthetic stimulant wey don bicom veri serious health concern across di world.

E get plenti names wey pipo know am as for street, like meth, speed, ice, crystal meth, or like dem dey call am for Igbo language for di southeast of Nigeria - mkpuru mmiri - meaning water drops.

Di names come from how di drugs dey look for eye like ice block.

Health sabi pipo tok say di drug dey act as powerful stimulant for di central nervous system, and e dey cause long-term damage such as severe paranoia, cognitive decline, and cardiovascular issues.

Wen pesin first take am, e go cause ogbonge energy rush for di pesin bodi, bicos e go make plenti dopamine hormones to rush to di brain, but wetin go follow later na severe physical and psychological effects.

Di users dey either melt am and inhale di smoke wit pipe, or dem dey reduce am to liquid form and inject am inside di veins, while some fit swallow am like dat or sniff am wit nose.

Some of di deadly health effects na elevated heart rate, high blood pressure, increased bodi temperature, decreased appetite, and anxiety.

Pesin wey don dey veri addicted fit also suffer weight loss, lack of sleep, hallucinations, and brain changes.

Anoda condition wey di informal name na "Meth Mouth" fit also dey present for di bodi of pesin wey dey use dis drug.

Meth mouth na condition of dental decay, gum disease, and broken teeth wey dey caused by di dryness of di mouth and grinding of teeth as a result of di drug.

Overdose of methamphetamine fit lead to seizures, heart attacks, stroke, and organ failure.