FOUR MEMBERS OF an organised crime group connected to the supply and distribution of drugs linked to chemsex have been convicted in the UK.
Two women and two men were found guilty today at the conclusion of an eight-week trial at Inner London Crown Court.
Suellen Miguez (34) was convicted of 14 counts involving the conspiracy to supply Class A, B and C drugs and removing criminal property from the country.
Carlos Edurardio Libardi Da Silva (33) was convicted of 14 counts involving the conspiracy to supply Class A, B and C drugs and money laundering .
Bernardo Henrique Salles (25) was convicted of 14 counts involving the conspiracy to supply Class A, B and C drugs and money laundering.
Isabella Braga Da Silva (21) was convicted of 14 counts involving the conspiracy to supply Class A, B and C drugs.
Detectives from the Met Police’s Trident and Area Command led an investigation into the Brazilian gang for five months between March and July 2018.
Their enquiries found that the group set up a courier network of more than 43 mopeds to transport and sell drugs across London using a dedicated drugs line number.
They predominantly functioned by renting properties for short periods of time and using them as safe houses to store the drugs before moving onto other addresses every couple of days.
Between 25 July and 20 August 2018, the police operation culminated in a series of arrests in Wandsworth and Newham.
On 25 July, Braga De Silva was arrested after being stopped by police beside a car that contained more than £500,000 (€577,737) worth of drugs. Officers also seized £40,000 (€46,219) cash and drug equipment from the vehicle including plastic wrapping and a credit card receiver to handle card transactions.
Miguez and Libardi Da Silva were arrested shortly after on 30 July.
Miguez was seen leaving a self-storage unit in Ingate Place, Battersea in possession of more than £100,000 (€115,547) worth of drugs. It was identified that Libardi Da Silva had dropped Miguez off at the address a short while before and he was quickly located and apprehended.
Salles was linked to the gang through police surveillance and was arrested on 20 August 2018.
Cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, GBL and cannabis worth approximately £3 million (€3,466,402) was seized following searches at five different storage facilities across London.
The investigation found that the gang sold more than £2.5 million (€2.8 million) worth of drugs between 2016 and 2018.
“This investigation saw the largest ever seizure of GBL in the UK. I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication shown by my team throughout the course of this investigation which has disrupted a huge network and taken six dangerous people off the streets,” Met Police Detective Inspector Andy Durham said.
“I hope today’s conviction reassures communities that are listening and taking action. Please keep supplying us with information either about drug dealing, or about people you feel may be exploited by drug dealers.”
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