Mexican drug dealers set up laboratories for the production of Mkpuru Mmiri in Nigeria.
“Since the 1990s, the production of crystal meth has been hijacked by mexican drug cartels and they came into Nigeria to set up laboratories in 2016” The Guardian quoted spokesman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mr.Femi Babafemi, to have said.
Mr. Babafemi, said the agency was aware of the consumption of the substance in the country, especially in the Southeast.
He added that the Chairman/CEO of the agency, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), recently gave specific instructions on how the agency should respond to the development.
According to Babafemi, “Mkpuru Mmiri is the Igbo slang for Methamphetamine or Crystal Meth, a very dangerous illicit drug. It looks like ice or white chalk crystal and sometimes can be blue. That is why the users sometimes refer to it as “ice.” It can be dissolved in water.”
Babafemi explained further: “It was developed in Japan in 1919 and grossly abused during World War II when it was issued to pilots on a suicidal mission called “kamikaze.” After the world war, it was briefly used as a medication for depression and for controlling obesity, but it was quickly abandoned and banned thereafter, especially from the 1970s.
“Meth is categorised as Schedule II (i.e. “drugs with a high potential for abuse, with use, potentially leading to severe psychological or physical dependence”) by the International Drug Control Conventions.
“Since the 1990s, the production of crystal meth has been hijacked by Mexican drug cartels and they came into Nigeria to set up laboratories in 2016.
“It is a very addictive stimulant that renders the user hyperactive and prone to destructive tendencies, which at the extreme do not exclude suicide or homicide at the slightest provocation and without a feeling of remorse.
“As a stimulant, it has powerful euphoric effects, similar to those of cocaine. Meth typically keeps users awake, depriving them of sleep. Its use and abuse also carry acute health risks including high blood pressure and cardiovascular-related illness.
“Aside from being unable to sleep and being violent, users exhibit anti-social behaviours arising from paranoia and hallucination. The drug takes a toll on the physical look of its users. It typically makes them look older and their faces prone to acne. Sometimes, excessive use leads to damaged gum and teeth, commonly called ‘meth mouth.’
“What is most frightening is that meth addiction is one of the most difficult to treat because no drug can cure it, except by behavioural therapy, which at the moment is not readily available in the country.
“Since the launch of the Offensive Action campaign early this year, NDLEA has recorded significant seizures of kilogrammes of the drug. Likewise, the Agency has located and destroyed not less than 18 meth-producing laboratories in the country in the past few years.
“The agency has been monitoring the trend in Meth production, abuse and trafficking. And because of the rampant abuse and production of the drug, especially in the Southeast, the Chairman/CEO recently gave specific instructions to relevant directorates of the agency on how the agency should respond to the development. You can rest assured that in a matter of time, the pipelines of such illicit drugs would be shut down and those behind it brought to book” he told The Guardian
