…intercepts 75.8kg skunk in Ondo, Rivers

By Tola Gbadamosi

|Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the weekend burst an online drug trafficking cartel that sells drugged cookies, cakes, brownies and all sorts of illicit substances to residents of Abuja and beyond, using the cyber space as platform.
A statement by the agency’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi said five members of the organised drug criminal group were arrested during the sting operations.
According to him, the sting operation was carried out on Saturday.
Also, operatives of the Ondo state Command of the agency have intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of cannabis.
In the process, a 29-year-old Emmanuel Utaji was arrested at the location at Old Garage, Akure, Akure South local government area.
Acting Commander of the Agency in the state, Callys Alumona disclosed that the location was raided at about 9:45pm and the suspect was arrested when the consignment was to be evacuated and taken outside the state.
In the same vein, a drug dealer and suspected armed robber, Sanusi Abdullahi has been arrested by officers of the Rivers state Command at Iroko village, where 15.8 kilogrammes of skunk and 16 sim cards were recovered from him on Saturday.
The state Commander, Rachael Shelleng, stated that further investigation would unravel other criminal activities perpetrated by the suspect.
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.
Seized from Queen include; 55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies; 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as ingredient for making cookies and brownies, while 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly called molley, 300 grammes of skunk, and 200 grammes of Loud were recovered from Collins. Also, 300 grammes of skunk were 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.
Under interrogation, the suspects confessed to have a large platform of customers who order for 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.