NDLEA discovers another illicit drug factory in Oyo State
By Paul Akinola
Another illicit drug factory with extensive link to Latin American drug cartels has been found in Oyo State.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Wednesday dismantled the large covert methamphetamine production facility burried in a forest in Oyo state.
According to NDLEA, the factory is located located in Tapa village, Ibarapa-north Local Government Area.
The NDLEA discovered the factory after an extensive intelligence led operation by its covert agents on June 17.
Methamphetamine is an illicit drug that ruptures the a central nervous system with heavy toll on human health. The drug is categorised as injurious to human health.
The NDLEA Chairman, General Buba Marwa has been leading successful operations that have bursted several drug cartels linked with Latin American drug lords.
He described the facility as a sophisticated operation run by a transnational drug syndicate seeking to establish a synthetic drug manufacturing base in the south-west region.
The NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, in Abuja on Wednesday, Marwa said the five suspects, including a Mexican national allegedly was an illicit expatriate employed to oversee the dangerous operation underlining an extensive transnatonal drug ring between Nigeria and Latin America.
The arrested men are Jose Villa Ochoa, 56-year-old Mexican described as a methamphetamine specialist, and four Nigerians — Maxwell Uche, Nevoh, 30; Olatunji Yusuf, 37; Bankole Akeem Owolabi, 45; and Ganiu Monsiu, 43.
The Mexican was said to have been brought into Nigeria for his criminal expertise to run the methamphetamine factory.
The listed Nigerians were recruited to coordinate local operations.
“This was not a rudimentary setup; it was a sophisticated, highly organized transnational syndicate,” Marwa said.
He said the arrested foreign expert shows the international dimension of the illicit drug trade and demonstrated the agency’s intelligence-gathering capabilities.
He said “What they uncovered is a massive, factory-level production line of poison,” Marwa said.
“The laboratory was fully stocked with a frightening array of precursor chemicals, industrial catalysts, and heavy-duty processing equipment.
The NDLEA said “Chemicals and Materials recovered include: Phenyl-2-propanone (P2P), which is the the main, highly controlled precursor required for methamphetamine synthesis; 1800-litre drums containing Phenylacetic acid (the primary precursor used to synthesize P2P); Two 180L drums containing a staggering 300 litres of whitish crystalline substance; Four 180L drums containing dark liquid undergoing synthesis.
“Others include: 101 bags (25kg each) of Caustic Soda; 17 containers (25L each) of Sulphuric Acid; 19.5 containers (25kg each) of Tartaric Acid; 5 containers of Reniso Ultracool 68 (three 50L and two 25L capacity; 25 bottles (500ml each) of 80% Thioglycolic Acid; 2 containers (25L each) of Ethyl Phenylacetate, and 25 cartons of aluminum foil.
“The Industrial Processing Equipment discovered at the site include: One (1) Reactor Pot, which is the heart of the chemical synthesis; Two (2) mounted distillation units and three (3) fabricated mixers and condensers; as well as Two (2) vegetable dehydrator machines used for the rapid drying of the crystals.
The anti drug agency said further “This is yet another multibillion-naira worth of illicit substances and production equipment ready to push millions of doses of synthetic drugs into our streets, communities and the international community but for the vigilance of our dedicated officers.”
