From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Nigeria and South Africa have forged operational ties that would usher in tough times for drug syndicates operating between the two countries.
This was disclosed at a two-day meeting between top officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria and their South African counterparts in the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, popularly known as HAWKS.
Speaking during the meeting at the NDLEA national headquarters, Abuja, yesterday, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd), who was represented by the agency’s Secretary, Mr. Shadrach Haruna, said the deliberation, which was a follow up to a virtual one held in April 2022, “will bridge the gap and rekindle our efforts by deepening collaboration, in line with the principle of common and shared responsibility in tackling the global drug problem.”
He said: “Among other expected outcomes of this visit is the need to have a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to combat drug trafficking and related crimes between the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) HAWKS of South Africa. This will provide a framework for enhanced information exchange, and Joint Operations/Joint Airport Interdiction; all promising dividends that will benefit our two organisations and countries greatly.”
While emphasising the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking cartels, particularly the proliferation of methamphetamine laboratories and the emergence of fentanyl production facilities, which pose grave threats to the safety and well-being of citizens in both countries, Marwa said “this demands swift action through the seamless exchange of intelligence and technical expertise.
“This will not only help to halt the spread of illicit production of these deadly illicit drugs, but, also, prevent locally produced ones from being smuggled between both countries. The need for collaboration became urgent given the volume of trade and social interactions between the two countries leading to a corresponding trade in illicit drugs. Another expected outcome of this visit is the expectation of an agreed mechanism that would lead to the dislodgement and disruption of major drug trafficking syndicates operating between the two jurisdictions.”
In his response, leader of the South African delegation, Lt. Gen. Senaba Mosipi, stressed that the collaboration between the two countries was necessary because criminals operating in the drug trade recognise no borders or geographical boundaries. He said to effectively combat their criminality, proactive measures within the arm of the law are imperative.
“We have the capacity to work together no matter the distance between our countries. The operational collaboration between NDLEA and HAWKS is important to combat the operations of criminal syndicates in our two countries,” the South African official stated.