The Enforcement Team of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has discovered and dismantled a first-ever Indian hemp clandestine laboratory for the production of hashish oil in Lagos State.
The laboratory is located at 7 Imam Augusto Close, Victoria Island, Lagos State.
Spokesman of the NDLEA, Jonah Achema, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the lab was managed by one Oladapo Ifedayo Oluseyi Adedayo, a graduate of the University of Southern Denmark with a degree in Electronic Engineering.
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He said Adedayo is a half-caste, whose late Nigerian father was a Professor from Ondo State; and that the suspect runs the lab with his Danish mother, Dr. (Mrs) Jyetter Marie (Nee Roug).
Achma said that in the course of the operation code-named Hash-Caste, the Agency arrested Mr. Adedayo, the suspected owner of the laboratory which engages in the indoor growing of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) and processing same into Hashish oil through clandestine laboratory extraction.
“Aged 42, Adedayo claimed to have been pushed into the hydroponic cannabis growing and Hashish Oil extraction following the collapse of his inverter, metering and solar installation company in 2019.
“He said he noticed that there is so much money to be made in view of the high demand for Hashish oil in the international market as a curative medicine for cancer.
“Adedayo’s expansive premises is well fortified with protective dogs and himself well-armed, ostensibly to put up resistance from the suspected onslaught of law enforcement agencies.
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“In the course of the operation, several drug exhibits were recovered including 911 grams of Cannabis seeds, 21 Kilograms of Cannabis-infused Ethanol, 83 grams of Hashish Oil 123mg THC-70 CBD, 1.127 Kilograms of Cannabis Cream, 80 grams of fresh Cannabis plant and 25 grams of dried Cannabis plant,” Achema said.
He listed other items found in the active laboratory as: 500 grams of Potassium Hydroxide Pellets, Propyl Alcohol, 500 grams of Sodium Hydroxide Pellets, Distilled water, Water Aspirator Vacuum Pump, Round bottom Flasks, Citric Acid, PH Meter, Retort Stands, Distillation Flasks, and Printer.
Also recovered from the laboratory are wireless wifi, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Pipes, Wooden base for Hydroponic System of Cannabis growing, LED floodlighting for Photosynthesis purpose for the Cannabis indoor planting and one product of Berreta 92 Pistol (a short gun) with 13 rounds of live ammunition.
He said that while two vehicles belonging to the suspect were seized as they were suspected to have been acquired from the proceeds of the illicit drug trade, also detected were two bank accounts belonging to the suspect and one jointly operated by the suspect and his mother.
The NDLEA spokesman quoted the agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (Rtd.), to have noted that the drug trade is “assuming a hitherto unthinkable dimension for somebody to turn his premises into a cannabis farm and also establish in the same premises a laboratory to process the proceeds into bye products such as Hashish.”
Abdallah was also said to have urged all stakeholders to deploy all means “to contain this daredevilry because Nigeria cannot afford a dangerous brew of Hashish Oil and that of methamphetamine which the Agency has been working assiduously to put an end to its local production.”
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