A 53-year-old Nigerian named Celestine Godwin has been arrested in The Gambia. He was found with 9,020 ecstasy tablets, some cannabis ruderalis, known as skunk, and a machine thought to be used for making illegal drugs.
The Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) in The Gambia shared this news in a statement on Facebook. Dawda Sanyang, the agency's Public Relations Officer, announced the arrest on Friday.
This arrest is seen as a big step in the fight against drug trafficking. The agency noted that finding the suspected drug-making machine is the first time such equipment has been discovered in The Gambia.
The statement said, "a 53-year-old Nigerian national Celestine Ikenna Godwin" was caught “in possession of 9,020 ecstasy tablets and some quantities of suspected cannabis ruderalis (skunk).” The agency also mentioned that he “was arrested with a machine suspected to be used for manufacturing and processing illicit drugs.”
DLEAG expressed worries about the possible creation of secret labs for making synthetic drugs in the country. “This development is particularly significant as the discovery of the equipment represents the first case of its kind recorded by the Agency in The Gambia,” the statement added.
The agency warned that this situation raises “serious concerns about the potential establishment of local clandestine laboratories for the production of synthetic drugs.” They highlighted the changing nature of drug trafficking in the region.
DLEAG stated that seizing the drugs and equipment shows their commitment to fighting not just the import of illegal drugs into The Gambia but also local drug-making efforts. "The drug seizure together with the processing equipment demonstrates the Agency’s determination to disrupt not only the movement of illicit drugs into the country, but also any attempts to establish facilities for drug production," DLEAG said.
Godwin is still in the agency’s custody while investigations are ongoing. DLEAG mentioned that their investigators are working to find and break up any networks or people involved in this operation.
“The suspect remains in the Agency’s custody as investigations continue while the investigators pursue all necessary measures to identify and dismantle networks or individuals connected with this operation,” the statement confirmed.
The agency called this operation a major achievement in The Gambia’s fight against illegal drugs. They sent a warning to drug traffickers and those looking to set up drug-making facilities that the country will not be a safe place for them.
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