A woman from Crystal Palace is one of four members of an ‘organised crime group’ convicted yesterday after ‘the largest ever seizure of GBL in the UK’ was found in storage units across London.
Thirty-four-year-old Suellen Miguez from Alexandra Drive, near Gipsy Hill, was convicted of conspiracy to supply class A, B and C drugs and removing criminal property from the country after an eight-week trial at Inner London Crown Court.
Also found guilty of drug and money laundering offences were Carlos Edurardio Libardi Da Silva, aged 33, from Bristol and Bernardo Henrique and Salles, aged 25, from Silvertown. Isabella Braga Da Silva, aged 21, from Leyton was also convicted of conspiracy to supply class A, B and C drugs.
Trident detectives spent five months investigating the ‘Brazilian crime gang’ who they said set up a courier network with 43 mopeds and a dedicated phone line to sell drugs across London.
The court heard the gang rented properties for short-term lets to use as a safe houses, moving on every few days.
Members of the group were arrested between July and August last year.
Police stung Miguez after she was arrested leaving a self-storage unit in Ingate Place, Battersea which had more than £100,000 of drugs.
After searching at five different storage facilities in the capital, police found three million pounds worth of drugs, including cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, GBL and cannabis. They found that between 2016 and 2018, the gang had sold drugs worth more than £2.5 million.
Detective Inspector Andy Durham said: “Drugs can have a horrendously negative physical and mental impact on users and this sophisticated gang were making huge profits whilst destroying lives.
“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.
“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.”
To report suspected drug crime or alert us to someone you think might be vulnerable, call 101 or Tweet @MetCC. Alternatively you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.