NDLEA arrest four workers of illegs drugs factory

Personnel of Abia State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has raided an illicit drug producing factory in Aba, Abia State.

The NDLEA personnel also arrested four men in connection with the production of unlicensed Diazepam; a sleep-inducing anti-depressant drug.

It was gathered that the illicit drug factory uses big lister generator, two packing and sealing machines, two tablet-making machines, one mixing machine, one big dryer and other appliances to carry out their unauthorized activities.

There were also unsealed tablets with waste products from packaging littering the floor of the production rooms forming the laboratory when the newsmen visited the warehouse- turned- laboratory

NDLEA state commander, Bamidele Akingbade who took newsmen round the drug production laboratory located at Omenihu Street, off Enugu – Port Harcourt Expressway, Osisioma local government area, near Aba said that the company which produces a brand of Diazepam, named Dizapam is doing so without license and in an unauthorized environment within a residential area.

According to Akingbade the drug is not only substandard, but was manufactured with the name of an Indian drug company known as Shalina Laboratories PVT, India.

He said that the personnel of the agency, acting on intelligence had carried out a survey of the facility before the raid.

Although the commander did not give the names of the arrested persons, he claimed that the suspects were caught working in the laboratory when his men carried out raid of the warehouse.

He further disclosed that the owner of the factory who operates from Onitsha in Anambra State, is at large, stating that the agency’s personnel are on his trail and would be arraigned in court as soon as the long arm of the catches him.

“What they do here is compounding and making diazepam illicitly because from the test that has been conducted, it proved positive for Diazepam but the production, registration is not controlled.

“So it is a clandestine laboratory. He has no number. He has nothing to show government why he is producing the drug.

“I want to add that Diazepam that is produced here is a controlled drug and if a drug is controlled it means that it affects the central nervous system and the use or abuse of it can lead to addiction or general damage to the user’s brain.

“It is a depressant and used for treatment of insomnia and anxiety. So we expect that it should not be produced by a single individual in this environment”, he said.

Akingbade while lamenting that some of the illicit drugs have infiltrated the market in Aba and the urged persons buying diazepam in Aba or the Southeast to check and ensure they got the authentic one.

He also urged persons who reside in these areas with information on such unlicensed drug productions to report to NDLEA for prompt action in order to save lives.