NDLEA bursts online drug cartel selling illicit drugs, cookies to Abuja residents

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the arrest of an online drug trafficking cartel that sells drugged cookies, cakes, brownies and all sorts of illicit substances to residents of Abuja.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi.

Babafemi further noted that the cartel uses cyberspace as its platform.

“As a result, five members of the organised drug criminal group were arrested during sting operations carried out between Friday 7th May and Saturday 8th May 2021 by officers of the FCT Command of the Agency during which different brands of illicit drugs were recovered from them,” he said.

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the suspects are Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and Habila Musa.

They were said to specialise in clandestine production of drug-based cookies, brownies and other edibles; market and sell same online, through their Twitter and Instagram handles.

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.”

READ ALSO: NDLEA arrests 80-yr-old woman, granddaughter for dealing in drugs

According to the Commander, FCT Command of the Agency, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, 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.

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 oautside 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.

The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the FCT Command of the Agency and charged them not to rest on their oars.

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.”

By Mayowa Oladeji

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