Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Imo State have arrested suspected leader of a syndicate, Joachim Chikaodi Mbonu (42), who allegedly owns a drug cartel behind the production and distribution of deadly psychoactive substances like methamphetamine (meth), popularly called mkpuru mmiri.
Spokesman of NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, on Tuesday in a statement, said the arrest followed the invasion of his mansion in his Umuomi village in Uzogba-Ezenomi Autonomous Community in Ikeduru LGA.
The statement reads in part: “The cartel, with operational bases in Imo and Rivers states, became a target of the agency following intelligence indicating it is responsible for the distribution of substantial quantities of methamphetamine in the South East, South South and other parts of the country.
“After weeks of surveillance, officers of a special operations unit, on Friday, 5th July, 2024, tracked and traced the drug lord to his village mansion in Imo State, where he was caught with a member of his cartel, Kenneth Chibuike Ofoegbu (34), with quantities of methamphetamine, its precursor chemicals and pump action gun and cartridges.”
He further said that the operatives moved to another of Mbonu’s hideouts at 11 Redemption Avenue, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they recovered 750g of processed sodium bicarbonate, 170g of plain sodium bicarbonate and 75g of meth.
He said another raid on the home of another of Mbonu’s associates, Odoemenam Pedro Chinedu (at large) in Njaba LGA, Imo State, led to the recovery of another pump action gun with 25 cartridges, among other items.
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