Five arrested as NDLEA busts online drug trafficking cartel in Abuja

Operatives of the Nationwide Drug Regulation Enforcement Company, NDLEA have busted a web based drug trafficking cartel that sells drugged cookies, truffles, brownies and all kinds of illicit substances to residents of Abuja and past, utilizing the cyber house as its platform.

Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, who disclosed this in an announcement on Sunday, Might 9, mentioned 5 members of the organised drug prison group had been arrested throughout sting operations carried out between Friday seventh Might and Saturday eighth Might, 2021 by officers of the FCT Command of the Company throughout which completely different manufacturers of illicit medication had been recovered from them.

The nabbed drug sellers embody Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and Habila Musa. The group specialises in clandestine manufacturing of drug based mostly cookies, brownies and different edibles; markets and sells similar on-line, via their Twitter and Instagram handles. In addition they market and promote all sorts of marijuana; Arizona, Colorado and Loud, amongst different illicit medication, on-line.

Whereas Queen Nvene, a graduate of Enterprise Administration, produces drug cookies and brownies and sells similar on Instagram, Collins Ozoemena sells all sorts of illicit medication, particularly Loud and skunk on-line. Samson Peter then again, is the supervisor of SK categorical courier firm, who manages bikes and dispatch riders to ship illicit medication from Collins and drugged edibles (cookies, truffles and brownies) from Queen and Chika, each sisters. Members of the cartel function from completely different areas throughout the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, however function as a community.

Their arrest adopted on-line orders of drug-based edibles by undercover brokers. Provides of brownies and cookies had been delivered and acquired from completely different SK Specific dispatch riders at varied instances by narcotic operatives earlier than the ultimate sting operation.

In response to the Commander, FCT Command of the Company, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, observe up raids of their varied areas in Gudu, Kubwa, Lokogoma, Apo and Damangazo all in Abuja, led to the seizure of some illicit substances.

Seized from Queen embody; 55 items of drugged cookies and brownies; 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as ingredient for making cookies and brownies, whereas 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly referred to as molley, 300 grammes of skunk, and 200 grammes of Loud had been recovered from Collins. Additionally, 300 grammes of skunk had been seized from Chika.

Different gadgets recovered from the syndicate embody: a dispatch bike, varied gear for producing cookies and brownies, 10 phone handsets and two laptops used for on-line drug trafficking transactions.

Beneath interrogation, the suspects confessed to have a big platform of consumers who order for medication and drug based mostly cookies, brownies and edibles, on day by day foundation for events and ceremonies, in and outdoors Abuja. They mentioned they use the supervisor of SK Specific courier firm to ship their merchandise via bike riders and energy bikers popularly referred to as droppers. They additional claimed they’ve been within the enterprise for over three years.

In the meantime, operatives of the Ondo state Command of the Company have intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of hashish following intelligence. Within the course of, a 29-year-old Emmanuel Utaji was arrested on the location on Matado avenue, Akure, Akure South native authorities space. Appearing Commander of the Company within the state, Callys Alumona disclosed that the placement was raided at about 9:45pm and the suspect arrested when the consignment was to be evacuated and brought exterior the state.

In the identical vein, a drug vendor and suspected armed robber, Sanusi Abdullahi has been arrested by officers of the Rivers state Command at Iroko village, the place 15.8 kilogrammes of skunk and 16 sim playing cards had been recovered from him on Saturday. The state Commander, Rachael Shelleng, acknowledged that additional investigation would unravel different prison actions perpetrated by the suspect.

Reacting to the operational feats, Chairman of NDLEA, Brig. Common Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) counseled the FCT, Ondo and Rivers Instructions of the Company and charged them to not relaxation on their oars.

“I ‘m notably impressed with the pace with which the officers of our FCT Command disrupted the net drug trafficking cartel that has been ravaging the nations capital for over three years and I have to commend them and their counterparts in Ondo and Rivers for his or her current feats.” Marwa acknowledged on Sunday.