A 28-year-old lady, Ese Patrick, who sells illicit substances through her Instagram account, Ese’s Oven Secret, has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Ms Patrick was arrested on 21st May, 2021 together with her boyfriend while both were trying to deliver some pieces of brownies ordered online by NDLEA’s undercover agents in a Mercedes Benz car.
The arrest was part of NDLEA’s fresh raids on online drug traffickers in the Federal Capital Territory.
NDLEA’s Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement that eight other suspects were arrested and assorted drugs recovered from them.
A follow-up operation at Ms Patrick’s residence led to the seizure of 400 grams of Arizona weed, which she uses in baking the brownies.
Further investigation led to the arrest of one Iyama Patrick, with 450 grams of Arizona weed. He supplies Ese the cannabis she uses.
“A day earlier, a motorcycle belonging to a courier company, Sky Port, was abandoned by a dispatch rider in Wuse Zone 4 upon sighting NDLEA’s outpost in the area. The motorcycle was later found to contain several pinches of crack cocaine (a.k.a Challie), and some envelopes of Arizona meant for delivery,” Babafemi said.
He said another online drug trafficker, Peter Nkejika, was arrested on Monday 24th May 2021 following an arrest of a dispatch rider with some quantity of Loud, a highly psychoactive variant of cannabis. Each portion of loud costs N30,000 and the rider was caught with 17 portions for delivery.
Babafemi said that on Tuesday 25th May, operatives also intercepted two online drug transactions and arrested two dispatch riders with some quantities of cocaine and Loud already packaged for delivery.
“In all, five dispatch riders and a lady, Dolapo Benjamin, who owns motorcycles involved in door-to-door distribution of drugs and drug-based edibles; cakes and brownies were arrested, while six dispatch motorcycles involved in door-to-door drug distribution were seized.
“Also seized from them were assorted drugs: Cocaine, Crack /Challie, Molly/ Ecstasy, Skunk, Brownies and Loud, which is the most expensive psychoactive variant of cannabis in town,” the statement added.
In a related development, Babafemi said on the 27th May 2021, operatives of the agency intercepted 30 compressed parcels of cannabis heading to Ningi, Bauchi State, as well as Rohypnol and Tramadol meant for the FCT.
The drugs weighing 105.5 kilograms were seized along Gwagwalada-Abuja road, in a luxury bus. Three persons were arrested in connection with the exhibits, while two more dispatch motorcycles were seized with some quantities of cocaine and cannabis on Saturday, May 29.
He added that operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) of the agency have intercepted 445 grams of Methamphetamine going to New Zealand and concealed inside USB chargers and hair attachments, with another 450 grams of cannabis sativa going to UAE and concealed inside local soap containers at a courier company in Lagos.
“In the same vein, 125 grams of heroin concealed inside academic thesis books was seized at another firm while 2kg of cannabis sativa hidden inside tractor’s balloon was intercepted at another courier company also in Lagos.
Following the latest arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retired), has directed the FCT command of the agency to immediately embark on stop-and-search of commercial dispatch riders across the nation’s capital city to curb the online drug trafficking trend in the FCT.
He also commended the Commander, Mohammed Malami Sokoto, his officers and men for the recent successes and sustaining the offensive against the latest trend in illicit drug trafficking in the nation’s seat of power.
The NDLEA boss also commended officers and men of DOGI for their vigilance and commitment to work.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
