The suspects
According to a report by The PUNCH, the Abuja Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency busted an online drug trafficking hideout in Abuja, arresting five members of the criminal group in the process.
An official statement by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that the raid by the NDLEA Abuja Command between Friday and Saturday led to the arrest of the culprits who were specialized in selling drugged cakes, cookies, brownies and other substances through social media platforms.
The arrested drug dealers include Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and Habila Musa.
“The group specialises in clandestine production of drug based cookies, brownies and other edibles; markets and sells some online, through their Twitter and Instagram handles,” the statement partly read.
The group carry out their operations in different parts of the Federal Capital, using dispatch riders to distribute their drugs.
“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”, the statement revealed.
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.
Substances seized from the group include 55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies; 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as ingredient for making cookies, 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly called molley, 300 grammes of skunk, and 200 grammes of Loud.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Ondo state Command of the Agency have intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of cannabis, leading to the arrest of a 29-year-old Emmanuel Utaji was arrested at the location on Matado street, Akure, Akure South local government area.
In similar development, the Rivers state command on Saturday nabbed a drug dealer and suspected armed robber, Sanusi Abdullahi, recovering 15.8 kilogrammes of skunk and 16 sim cards from him.
The Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) commended the FCT, Ondo and Rivers Commands of the Agency for their operational feats.
He stated on Sunday, “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.”