The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during the weekend, intercepted an online drug trafficking cartel that uses cyberspace to sell drugged cookies, brownies, and other illicit substances to Abuja residents and beyond.
This was made known in a press statement by Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, released on Sunday, May 9th 2021.
He said 5 members of the organized drug cartel were arrested with different brands of illicit substances during the sting operation carried out by operatives of the FCT Command of the Agency on the 7th and 8th of May, 2021.
Babafemi said the suspects, identified as Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and Habila Musa specialize in the clandestine production of drug-based cookies, brownies, and other edibles through their Twitter and Instagram handles.
They also sell all types of Arizona, Colorado, and Loud, amongst other illicit drugs.
According to the NDLEA spokesperson, 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 who deliver illicit drugs from Collins and drugged edibles (cookies, cakes, and brownies) from Queen and Chika.
Members of the cartel operate from different locations within the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, but operate as a network.
They were arrested through undercover agents who ordered brownies and cookies which were delivered and received from a different SK Express dispatch rider at various times by narcotic operatives before the final sting operation.
Mohammed Malami Sokoto, the Commander of FCT Command of NDLEA, said follow-up raid in various locations in Abuja like Gudu, Kubwa, Lokogoma, Apo, and Damangaza, led to the seizure of some illicit substances.
55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies, 1.3 kilograms of skunk used as an ingredient for making cookies and brownies were seized from Queen, while 0.9 grams of ecstasy knowns as molley, 300 grams of skunk, and 200 grams of Loud were recovered from Collins. Also, 300 grams of skunk was 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.
During interrogation, the suspects who have been in business for over three years confessed to have several platforms of customers in and out of Abuja who order drug and drug-based cookies, brownies, and edibles on a daily basis for parties and ceremonies.
Babafemi further said they use the manager of Sk Express courier company to deliver their products through dispatch riders and power bikers which are known as droppers.
In a related development, operatives of the Ondo state Command of the Agency have intercepted 29-year-old Emmanuel Utaji and made a seizure of 60 kilograms of cannabis at Matado street, Akure South Local government Area of the state.
According to the acting Commander of the Agency in the state, Callys Alumona, the location was raided at about 9:45 pm, and the suspect was arrested when the consignment was about to be evacuated outside the state.
Sanusi Abdullahi, a drug dealer and suspected armed robber, was arrested on Saturday and 15.8 kilograms of skunk and 16 sim cards were seized from him by officers of Rivers State Command at Iroko village.
The state Commander, Rachael Shelleng, said an investigation is ongoing to unravel other criminal activities the suspects might be involved in.
While reacting to all the operations, Chairman/Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the FCT, Ondo, and Rivers Commands of the Agency and charged them not to relent toward the ongoing maxim in eradicating trafficking and use of an illicit drug in the country.
He 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 and I must commend them and their counterparts in Ondo and Rivers for their recent feats”