The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have discovered and dismantled a clandestine laboratory on the outskirts of Sagamu in Ogun State where skuchies, a highly potent psychoactive substance made with a blend of Cannabis Sativa, Tramadol, Rohypnol, Exol-5, and industrial codeine, was being produced in large quantity and distributed in jerry cans and bottles.

All the equipment for the production including power generators, industrial gas cylinders, drums and kegs as well as various quantities of illicit drugs such as 214kgs cannabis, 1,440 capsules of tramadol; 480 tablets of swinol, 1,440 tablets of Rohypnol, and 114 liters of industrial codeine, among others were also recovered from the building by the NDLEA officers before sealing off the premises on Saturday.

This was disclosed via a statement made available to The Star on Sunday by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi added that a notorious 40-year-old drug dealer, who is physically challenged, Abiodun Emaria, was arrested on Saturday arrested with 6.2kgs of cannabis at his hideout in Ohada village, Uhunmonde Local Government Area of Edo State.

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Babafemi revealed that the operatives of the anti-drug agency, on Thursday, raided the notorious Tora bora hills in Abuja and recovered 350.7kgs of skunk and 794 bottles of codeine hidden under rocks.

He noted that 756kgs of Cannabis Sativa were recovered also at Dawo village, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State, and transferred to the agency on Friday by the troops of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with Hunters group, based on intelligence from the State Command of the NDLEA.

He stated that the NDLEA operatives stormed Alayere in Akure North LGA of Ondo State and arrested a suspect, Sunday Make, with 275kgs of Cannabis Sativa and Seeds, adding that a total of 272kgs of C/S were recovered from two suspects, Nwele Friday, aged 35, and 47-year-old Egbe Nnaemeka, at Ifo layout, Abakpa Nike, Enugu State.

The NDLEA spokesperson disclosed that 34.3kgs of cannabis were also recovered from an uncompleted building in Muduru, Mani village, Katsina State after which the owner, Murtala Isiya, was arrested in a follow-up operation.

Speaking on the arrests and seizures, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), charged the officers of the anti-drug agency and their compatriots across the country to sustain the heat on drug cartels in Nigeria while balancing their efforts on supply reduction with drug demand reduction activities.

The Star