Nigerian drug agents arrested four Mexicans who were allegedly
helping build a "super-lab" capable of producing billions of dollars'
worth of methamphetamine, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said
Monday.
Spokesman Mitchell Ofoyeju said it was the first
industrial-scale production of crystal meth found in West Africa, and
possibly on the continent.
"The Nigerians invited the Mexicans in to
leverage their expertise in these industrial-scale, high-yield
productions," said Ofoyeju.
The warehouse in southern Delta state could
produce 8,800 pounds a week of the synthetic drug, which sells for about
$2,700 a pound in Nigeria but as much as $140,000 a pound in the Asian
markets favored by Nigerian drug dealers, Ofoyeju told The Associated
Press. Most goes to Singapore and Malaysia.
The lab completed a first successful production in February and the
agents raided it as the Mexicans were producing a second run, Ofoyeju
said. Only 3.3 pounds of meth was recovered with 200 gallons of liquid
methamphetamine.
Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said its
embassy in Nigeria was working with local authorities to confirm the
suspects' identities and nationalities and determine their legal status.
The raid came after an undercover operation that
also netted the arrests of four Nigerians last Wednesday. The eight
arrests happened in simultaneous raids in two southern towns and the
commercial capital, Lagos.
Last Updated 18-03-2016 10.41am
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