NDLEA, Nigeria anti-drug agency, don discover two major illegal drug ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ laboratories for di west and eastern part of di kontri.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency locate and scata dem for Lagos and Anambra states.
Dis labs na wia dem dey produce di dangerous illicit drug, crystal methamphetamine for distribution across Nigeria and export.
Crystal methamphetamine also dey known as Mkpuru Mmiri for di east.
NDLEA oga Mohamed Buba Marwa give dis informate on Tuesday August 2.
“Afta di outbreak of crystal methamphetamine abuse for di last quarter of 2021, especially for di South East and di cry for help from many communities inside di region…
“…because of di bad effects of dis drug to youths and odas, di Agency deploy all available assets to find di primary source of manufacturing of di drug inside Nigeria and arrest di barons behind am.”
Last year, Communities for southeast Nigeria bin launch campaign against di use of Mkpuru Mmiri.
Taskforce wey community youths set-up begin raid drug camps for dia villages.
Plenti
videos wey go viral for social media show how di taskforce dey publicly flog pipo wey dem catch dey use di drugs.
Oga Marwa say efforts for di past seven months against di cartel behind di Methamphetamine palava don lead to di arrest of four kingpins and one cook.
And now, dem don add two barons and anoda cook.
“Dis no doubt na loud statement to those wey dey involve for di criminal illicit drug trade dat time don reach for dem to quit or risk losing all dem get- dia freedom, investment and assets dem get from dis illegal business.”
How NDLEA take discover dis Crystal Meth ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ labs
NDLEA oga say afta months of intelligence gathering, diligent tracking and planed action, dem record breakthrough on Saturday, July 30, 2022.
“Di first one, dey for Victoria Garden City (VGC) Estate of Lekki, Lagos.
“Na one baron, Chris Emeka Nzewi get am.”
“While di second for Nise Community of Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State na Paul Ozoemenam get am, oga Marwa tok.
Dat na wen officers and men of di Agency successfully discover two methamphetamine manufacturing facilities, wey dem call Meth Laboratories.
NDLEA say dem also arrest di owners of dis two illicit meth laboratories alongside Sunday Ukah from Aba, Abia State, di cook or chemist wey dey produce di drugs for dem.
Dem set up di laboratory for Lagos inside di Boys Quarter building of one four-bedroom duplex.
“From there, we recover total of 258.74 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and different chemicals wey dem dey use for di production of di toxic drug.
“We find di complete tools of laboratory equipment like gas cylinders, giant gas burners, industrial face masks, industrial gloves, tubes and flat-bottomed conical flasks, among odas.”
Wetin NDLEA tok about di two labd dem discover
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) say e dey shocking to find out say di owner of di laboratory inside VGC, dey produce dis highly unstable and toxic drug for one house where e dey live with im family.
“On average, di lab dey produce 50 kilos of methamphetamine every week with plans underway to increase di capacity of production to at least 100kg per week.
“Where all dis drugs dey end? From our first interrogation, we now know say di drugs from dis lab na for both export and local consumption.
“We also know say e get supply chain of distributors and buyers for export and di domestic market.
“Wen you consider di fact dat di price of dis dangerous drug dey increase for as high as US500, 000 per kilo for di international market in recent time, you go understand why Nzewi care less to put di lives of his own family for risk by producing dis for di same house where dem dey live.
“So, taking dis two labs out of operation na major victory for our continue effort to stop di meth problem.”
Di NDLEA oga say di lab wey dem discover also expose di connnection among syndicates wey dey involve in meth production.
E add say na both producers hire di cook for di VGC lab, as well as di lab for Anambra.
And advise members of di public to dey sensitive to dia environment as producers of methamphetamine alway dey choose unsuspecting environments with tight security, like di VGC estate, in dis case.
How dangerous dis labs dey to pipo life
E dey very important to note say di waste from methamphetamine production dey dangerous to di ecosystem, accoding to oga Marwa.
Di chemicals dey toxic and once dey enta inside di soil, dey go contaminate di water table from where di wells and boreholes around di areas dey draw dia water.
And pipo wey drink water from dat sources dey expose to heart and kidney sickness plus oda organ diseases, di NDLEA boss add.
“Neighbours, too, wey breath in gases from di lab, are also dey expose to di same risk.”
“Wetin make am worse be say di production dey usually take place for di middle of di night, between 11 pm and 4 am, and therefore neighbours fit dey expose to di hazards for months or even years.”
Wetin be Crystal Methamphetamine aka Mkpuru Mmiri
Methamphetamine alias Mkpuru Mmiri na synthetic substance, according to di European Union Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
Dey first manufacture am for Japan for 1919.
Methamphetamine get some limited therapeutic use, but most of dem dey manufacture for secret laboratories, particularly for di USA and di Far East.
E dey under international control and closely related to amphetamine.
Di WebMD tok for dia website say Crystal meth na di common name for crystal methamphetamine, wey be strong and highly addictive drug wey dey affects di central nervous system.
E no get any legal use.
E dey It come in clear crystal chunks or shiny blue-white rocks. Dem dey also call am “ice” or “glass, WebMD add.
Wetin be di effects of Crystal Methamphetamine aka Mkpuru Mmiri
Di WebMD list some of di effects wey Crystal Methamphetamine alias Mkpuru Mmiri fit do to di body;
- Meth fit make di user body temperature rise so high sotey dem fit pass out or even die.
- Dia looks fit change all of a sudden. Di user fit old quickly. Dia skin fit dull, and dem fit develop hard-to-heal sores and pimples.
- Dem fit get dry mouth and stained, broken, or rotting teeth.
- Meth fit also affect di heart. Continous use of meth fit also lead to lung damage.
- Dem fit become paranoid. Dem fit dey hear and see things wey no dey there.
- Dem fit think about hurting demsef or odas.
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Dem fit also feel as though insects dey crawl on or under dia skin
Meth user dey for higher risk of HIV/AIDS.
- Di drug fit affect judgment and reduce inhibitions.
- Someone under di influence of di drug fit dey more likely to engage in risky behaviors, like unsafe sex.
Wetin be di sign say pesin dey use Meth
Di WebMD list some of signs here;
- Di pesin no go care about pesonal appearance or grooming
- Obsessively picking im hair or skin
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Dilated pupils and rapid eye movement
- Strange sleeping pattern — e go stay up for days or even weeks at a time
- Borrowing money often, selling possessions, or stealing
- Angry outbursts or mood swings
- Psychotic behavior, such as paranoia and hallucinations etc
By Princess Igho Williams, Daniel Semeniworima
