Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted an alleged online drug trafficking cartel in Abuja.
The group, according to a statement issued on Sunday by Mr Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, sells drugged cookies, cakes, brownies and all sorts of illicit substances to residents of the city, with cyberspace as its platform.
“Five members of the organised drug criminal group were arrested during sting operations carried out between Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8, 2021, by officers of the FCT Command of the Agency during which different brands of illicit drugs were recovered from them,” he said.
The suspects – Miss Queen Nvene, Mr Collins Ozoemena, Mr Samson Peter, Mr Chika Nvene, and Mr Habila Musa – were said to specialise in clandestine production of drug-based cookies, brownies and other edibles; markets and sells same online, through their Twitter and Instagram handle.
They were also accused of selling all types of marijuana, Arizona, Colorado and Loud, among other illicit drugs, online.
The statement added, “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. Members of the cartel operate from different locations within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, but operate as a network.
“Their arrest followed online orders of drug-based edibles by undercover agents. 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.”
According to Mr Mohammed Malami Sokoto, commander, FCT Command of the agency, follow up raids of their various locations in Gudu, Kubwa, Lokogoma, Apo and Damangazo all in Abuja, led to the seizure of some illicit substances.
Items recovered from the suspects included 55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies, 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as an ingredient for making cookies and brownies, 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly called molly, 300 grammes of skunk, 00 grammes of Loud and 300 grammes of skunk.
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.
NDLEA said the suspects confessed to have 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.
They said they use the manager of SK Express courier company to deliver their products through motorcycle riders and power bikers popularly called droppers.
They further claimed they have been in the business for over three years.
Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of cannabis in the Akure-South Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a 29-year-old man, Mr Emmanuel Utaji.
Mr Callys Alumona, acting commander of the Agency in the state, disclosed that the location was raided at about 9:45pm following intelligence, adding that the suspect was apprehended when the consignment was to be evacuated and taken outside the state.