National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested an online drug trafficking cartel in Abuja.
The Cartel sells drugged cookies, cakes, brownies, and all sorts of illicit substances to residents and beyond.
NDLEA’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi in a statement said five members of the organised drug criminal group who uses cyberspace as its platform were arrested.
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The FCT Command of the Agency during sting operations carried out between Friday and Saturday nabbed the cartel with different brands of illicit drugs were recovered from them.
The arrested drug dealers were Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and Habila Musa.
According to the statement “the group specialises in clandestine production of drug-based cookies, brownies and other edibles; markets and sells same online, through their Twitter and Instagram handles.
‘They also market and sell all types of marijuana; Arizona, Colorado, and Loud, among other illicit drugs, online.
“While Queen Nvene, a graduate of Business Administration, produces drug cookies and brownies and sells same on Instagram, Collins Ozoemena sells all types of illicit drugs, especially Loud and skunk online.
“Samson Peter, on the other hand, is the manager of SK express courier company, who manages motorcycles and dispatch riders to deliver illicit drugs from Collins and drugged edibles (cookies, cakes, and brownies) from Queen and Chika, both sisters.”
Babafemi stated that “Members of the cartel operate from different locations within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, but operate as a network.
“Supplies of brownies and cookies were delivered and received from different SK Express dispatch riders at various times by narcotic operatives before the final sting operation.”
He noted that their arrest followed online orders of drug-based edibles by undercover agents.
According to the Commander of the Command, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, the Agency followed up raids of their various locations in Gudu, Kubwa, Lokogoma, Apo, and Damangazo all in Abuja, which led to the seizure of some illicit substances.
The statement read further, “Seized from Queen include; 55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies; 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as an ingredient for making cookies and brownies, while 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly called molly, 300 grammes of skunk, and 200 grammes of Loud were recovered from Collins.
“Also, 300 grammes of skunk were seized from Chika.
Other items recovered from the syndicate include a dispatch motorcycle, various equipment for producing cookies and brownies, 10 telephone handsets, and two laptops used for online drug trafficking transactions.”
The suspects while under interrogation, confessed to having a large platform of customers who order drugs and drug-based cookies, brownies, and edibles, on daily basis for parties and ceremonies, in and outside Abuja.
According to them, they use the manager of SK Express courier company to deliver their products through motorcycle riders and power bikers popularly called droppers.
The drug traffickers further claimed they have been in the business for over three years.
In a related development, Operatives of the Ondo State Command of the Agency have intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of cannabis in the state.
The Command arrested a 29-year-old Emmanuel Utaji at the location on Matado street in Akure.
The Acting Commander of the Agency in the state, Callys Alumona said the suspect was arrested when the consignment was about to be evacuated and taken outside the state.
Similarly, Officers of the Rivers State Command have also arrested a drug dealer and suspected armed robber, Sanusi Abdullahi at Iroko village.
The Officers recovered 15.8 kilogrammes of skunk and 16 sim cards from him on Saturday.
State Commander, Rachael Shelleng, said further investigation would unravel other criminal activities perpetrated by the suspect.
NDLEA’s Chairman/Chief Executive Mohamed Buba Marwa while reacting to all these operations, commended the FCT, Ondo, and Rivers Commands of the Agency and charged them not to rest on their oars.
Marwa on Sunday said, “I’m particularly impressed with the speed with which the officers of our FCT Command disrupted the online drug trafficking cartel that has been ravaging the nation’s capital for over three years.”
He commended them and their counterparts in Ondo and Rivers for their recent feats.
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