… targets cross-border drug crime
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has expressed readiness to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Egyptian counterpart to strengthen intelligence sharing, joint operations and personnel training as part of efforts to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in both countries.
NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), disclosed this when the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Fouad, paid him a courtesy visit at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Marwa said the long-standing cordial relationship between Nigeria and Egypt provides a solid foundation for deeper collaboration against the growing global drug menace.
He noted that no country is immune from the drug problem, stressing that international cooperation remains critical to tackling transnational drug trafficking networks.
According to him, the NDLEA already collaborates with several international law enforcement agencies, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau, the UK’s National Crime Agency and Border Force, the French Police, the German Criminal Police, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau and the UK Home Office International Operations.
Marwa said the proposed MoU with Egypt would institutionalise cooperation between both countries, especially as drug cartels continue to seek new routes into Africa following intensified enforcement in other regions.
He revealed that the NDLEA recently dismantled two methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by Mexican nationals in Nigeria, including one hidden in a remote forest and valued at about $362 million, describing the operations as a major breakthrough in the fight against organised drug trafficking.
Earlier, Ambassador Fouad emphasised the need for stronger bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Egypt, describing both countries as leading African nations with a shared responsibility to confront narcotics trafficking from a continental perspective.
