This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, adding that the cartel uses the cyber space 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.

The suspects – Queen Nvene, Collins Ozoemena, Samson Peter, Chika Nvene, and 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 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.”

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.

Items recovered from the suspects included 55 pieces of drugged cookies and brownies, 1.3 kilogrammes of skunk used as ingredient for making cookies and brownies, 0.9 grammes of ecstasy, popularly called molley, 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 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.

Similarly, NDLEA operatives intercepted and seized 60kilogrammes of cannabis in Akure-South Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a 29-year-old man, Emmanuel Utaji.

Acting Commander of the Agency in the state, Callys Alumona 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.

Also in Rivers State, a suspected drug dealer and armed robber, Sanusi Abdullahi was nabbed by operatives of the agency at Iroko village, where 15.8 kilogrammes of skunk and 16 sim cards were recovered from him on Saturday.

NDLEA Rivers State Commander, Rachael Shelleng, stated that further investigation would unravel other criminal activities perpetrated by the suspect.

Reacting to the development, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the FCT, Ondo and Rivers Commands 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 and I must commend them and their counterparts in Ondo and Rivers for their recent feats.”