The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has emphasized the importance of a global anti-narcotics agency collaboration to curb the growing threat of illicit drugs to public health and national security. Speaking at the Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS), organized by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in Lagos, Marwa made reference to the recent discovery of methamphetamine laboratories and the seizure of captagon, fentanyl, and other deadly substances.
Marwa reiterated that if drug cartels could maintain an effective network across the globe, it is expedient for drug law enforcement agencies to forge a formidable lead ahead of them to win the fight against drug trafficking. He lauded the multi-agency training program on real-time communication, intelligence tools, awareness raising, and the handling of dangerous substances, organized by the INCB.
The program aims to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement and regulatory officers across different regions and countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Thailand, and Vietnam. Participating countries are expected to benefit from intelligence sharing and officer exchange programs that are vital to counteracting transnational drug trafficking groups.
Marwa expressed optimism about the gains of the strategic alliance formed between West Africa and Southeast Asia through the twinning program, revealing that the initiative is preparing a solid foundation for a more coordinated onslaught against drug trafficking cartels.
He added that his agency would continue to take every step aimed at increasing local and international collaboration while tightening the noose against drug traffickers. Marwa disclosed that synthetic drug trafficking poses a significant challenge to the United States and that the country would continue to engage foreign partners to attain more impactful counter-narcotics and law enforcement outcomes through foreign assistance, diplomacy, and the deployment of deterrence tools.
Meanwhile, in his presentation, the Regional Technical Officer, GRIDS Programme, Long Nguyen Duc highlighted the worrying trend of social media networks being exploited by vendors of dangerous substances, such as synthetic opioids or new psychotropic substances (NPS).
He warned that more vendors are “fishing” for their customers over social media and then continue the communication via encrypted communication tools such as Wickr. Duc described exposure to fentanyl through use or improper handling as highly dangerous.
The Regional Technical Officer for the INCB’s GRIDS program in West and Central Africa, Amari Bedi Olivier, praised Marwa for the recent historic seizure of fentanyl. Olivier also said that the mention of this opioid in Africa is frightening. However, Marwa bore the courage to alert the world during the HONLEA on the danger of the substance’s prevalence on the African continent.
Overall, there is no denying the significance of international collaboration between anti-narcotics agencies in the fight against drug trafficking. With the increasing emergence of new psychotropic substances and synthetic opioids, a global synergy of anti-narcotics agencies is necessary to ensure public health and national security.
