NDLEA Discovers 3 Drug Labs Worth Billions In Anambra(Photos)

The National Drug Law Enforcement
Agency, (NDLEA) has arrested an
international drug peddler from
Ozobulu, Anambra state.
The agency discovered three
clandestine laboratories used for
illegal production of
methamphetamine built by the
dealer Chukwunwendu Sylvester
Ikejiakwu , aka Blessed,.
The illegal drug factories were
detected in Anambra State South
East Nigeria. A suspected drug
kingpin Mr. Chukwunwendu
Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka Blessed who
was arrested is said to be the owner
of the laboratories and leader of an
International Drug Trafficking
Organization (DTO) that recruits and
sponsors drug couriers to China,
Malaysia, Turkey and Italy.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive,
Ahmadu Giade said that sufficient
evidences had been gathered on the
suspect to ease his prosecution.
According to the NDLEA boss who
described the arrest as the latest
outstanding operational success
recorded by the Agency, “the Special
Enforcement Team (SET) of the
NDLEA has concluded a model
investigation of an International
Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO).
The Agency apprehended the
suspected leader of a drug syndicate
in his country home at Ozubulu
after thirteen months of intense
surveillance. Three additional
clandestine laboratories that
produce methamphetamine had
been discovered in his home town
in Anambra State”.
Giade stated that based on
intelligence report received on April
23, 2014, a high level covert
operation commenced on the
suspect Mr. Chukwunwendu
Sylvester Ikejiakwu aka Blessed of
Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local
Government Area of Anambra State.
“The 37 year old suspected drug
kingpin was found to be deeply
involved in Unlawful Exportation of
illicit drugs, Unlawful Assembling as
well as running of
methamphetamine production
laboratories in the Eastern part of
Nigeria. He shuttles between his
country home in Ozubulu, Nnewi
and No. 2, St, James Close Ajao
Estate Isolo Lagos where he resides
in Lagos for his drug business” he
added.
The Agency equally uncovered that
Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu
aka Blessed is the Group Managing
Director of Blessed Group of
Companies. He hides under the
cover of motorcycle parts business
in running a drug cell that has
international affiliation. His
companies include Blessed Benita
Global Limited, Ideal Motorcycle
Company Limited and God’s Special
Enterprise Limited. He specializes in
recruiting and sponsoring drug
couriers to China, Malaysia, Turkey
and Italy. He also pays his couriers
an average of $5,000 dollars per trip.
He runs the clandestine
methamphetamine laboratories in
his premises located in Akubuezem
Nnewi, Anambra State. It was
gathered that he hired one Raphael
who is a professional
methamphetamine cook to work for
him. He pays him five hundred
thousand naira (N500,000) for his
service and seven hundred thousand
naira (N700,000) for the purchase of
precursor chemicals per production
cycle. The production capacity per
cycle is 14kg.
“During a search on one of the
laboratories at his Nnewi house,
2.615kg of liquid methamphetamine
was found inside a yellow plastic jug
and 250grammes of crystallized
methamphetamine concealed in a
white transparent polythene bag.
Methamphetamine laboratory
equipment seized from his house
include the following; One (1)
approximate volume measuring
scale, Six (6) heating filters, Six giant
conical flasks, industrial tubes and
cups of sodium hydroxide. Others
are containers of iodine, Acetone,
Hydrochloric Acid, weighing scale,
masks and hand gloves among
others” the NDLEA boss added.
Also recovered from him are
paraphernalia for drug concealment
similar to the ones seized with drugs
at the airports and land borders.
They include an electronic weighing
scale, assorted artifacts, laptop bags,
motorcycle parts, air compressors,
bus and truck mirrors, araldite and
Atiso paint, processed brown
envelopes and impulse sealer.
Others are transparent packing
nylon and carbon paper, tower foil
paper, needles, threads, super glue
and many more.
The suspect had two (2) Nigeria
International passports and one
Ghana passport all bearing his
photographs with different names.
Details of his three passports are as
follows; Ikechukwu Sylvester
Chukwunwe, Nigeria passport with
No: 04272646; Samson Odinakar:
Nigeria passport No: A03472814 and
Anthony Yeboah Frank, Ghana
passport No: H2437245. Two other
passports belonging to suspected
drug couriers were also seized.
While surveillance on this criminal
group was ongoing, the NDLEA
intercepted 23kg of
methamphetamine on February 19,
2015 along Badagry expressway,
Lagos en-route Cotonou. The seized
drug was ultimately traced to
Chukwunwendu Sylvester Ikejiakwu
aka BLESSED. One AZUBIKE is now
standing trial at the Federal High
court Lagos in respect of that
seizure. Some drug couriers
sponsored by him have been
arrested and are in prison custody
in China, Turkey and Malaysia.
Some of the assets believed to be
purchased with drug proceeds had
been traced. “We are investigating
over sixteen bank accounts
belonging to him in different banks.
He has a Toyota Venza with vehicle
registration No AAA 18 BP, a Peugeot
406 with vehicle registration No FST
587 AS; a Q5 Audi four runner with
vehicle registration No EPE 546 CF
and a Toyota Sienna SUV with
vehicle registration No KRD 399 CG.
He allegedly bought a piece of land
at No. 21A Joy Avenue, Ajao Estate
in 2009 at the cost of twenty five
million naira (N25,000,000) and
rebuilt it in 2012 to three (3) story
building at the cost of ninety million
naira (N90,000,000) only. He also
bought a property at No 2 St. James
Close Ajao Estate for seventeen
million naira (N17,000,000) and built
a five (5) bedroom duplex on it at
the cost of twenty five million naira
(N25,000,000) only.
The illegal drug activities of the
suspect have grave economic, social
and political consequences on the
nation. Methamphetamine
production generates toxic waste
that pollutes the environment and
exposes workers, neighbours and
guests to health hazards. Young and
active youths are used as drug
couriers to smuggle produced drugs
outside the country. This is in
addition to creating local drug
addicts due to availability of the
drugs at affordable cost.
Some of the drug couriers he
sponsored are languishing in jail in
China, Malaysia, Turkey and Italy.
Some are believed to have died in
foreign prisons. Besides, Nigeria has
suffered international
embarrassment due to arrest of our
nationals abroad
Notwithstanding the challenges,
Giade said that the era of in-depth
and analytical investigations have
come to stay in the NDLEA. A solid
foundation has been established and
we shall continue to build on the
existing structures. The Agency shall
ensure that this case is diligently
prosecuted and all assets traced to
the suspect and his group is
forfeited to the federal government.
He reassured members of the public
that no drug baron shall go
unpunished. At the most expedient
time, more drug barons shall be
exposed and prosecuted. I wish to
thank the officers that took part in
the operation and urge them not to
relent as every outstanding
performance shall be rewarded.