A major drug cartel responsible for the production and distribution of methamphetamine, commonly known as mkpuru mmiri, has been dismantled by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The successful operation was announced by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement issued on Tuesday.

The syndicate’s downfall began with the arrest of its leader, 42-year-old Joachin Chikaodi Mbonu, and his associate at Mbonu’s mansion in Umuomi village, Uzogba-Ezenomi autonomous community, Ikeduru Local Government Area, Imo State. This cartel, which had operational bases in Imo and Rivers States, was targeted following intelligence reports implicating it in the widespread distribution of methamphetamine across the South East, South-South, and other regions of Nigeria.

Following weeks of surveillance, NDLEA officers from a special operations unit tracked and apprehended Mbonu on July 5, 2024.

The raid on his village mansion yielded significant quantities of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals, along with a pump action gun and cartridges. Specifically, the seized items included 419.99 grams of methamphetamine, 750 grams of iodine, 500 grams of sodium bicarbonate, two electronic weighing scales, and a pump action gun with four cartridges.

Further investigations led the operatives to another hideout of Mbonu’s at 11 Redemption Avenue, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they recovered 750 grams of processed sodium bicarbonate, 170 grams of plain sodium bicarbonate, and 75 grams of meth. Another raid at the home of Mbonu’s associate, Odoemenam Pedro Chinedu, in Njaba LGA, Imo State, resulted in the recovery of another pump action gun with 25 cartridges.

Mbonu, who had previously fled from South Africa after coming under investigation for drug dealings, had continued his criminal activities in Nigeria by setting up clandestine meth labs in remote villages. His arrest marks a significant victory for the NDLEA, which has now marked two of his mansions in Imo State for potential forfeiture to the Federal Government.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), praised the officers involved in the operation. He stated that the successful interdiction should serve as a stern warning to other drug cartels operating in the country that there is no haven for their illicit activities.