The drug gang so rich they had Sundays off
‘Charlie’s Angels’ group of women delivered more than 90 types of narcotics across capital on mopeds
‘This is a highly organised criminal outfit that supplied an array of controlled drugs on a vast scale’
A CHARLIE’S ANGELS-STYLE gang of Brazilian drug couriers who delivered narcotics across London on mopeds have been jailed after police dismantled their operation.
Controlled and recruited by the only man in the organisation, the female gang members supplied drugs on a vast scale making almost £100,000 profit every month. They would take orders over the phone and then drop off their wares to the customers’ homes, in a similar style to a take-away food delivery service.
Such was the success of their network that they stopped working at 10pm every day and never worked on Sundays.
Customers across the capital were provided with a “candy-shop list” of more than 90 different narcotics.
The gang said that they were able to supply class A, class B and even prescription pills, and used high-powered mopeds to make deliveries quickly.
As well as supplying cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis, the operation pressed its own unique heart-shaped pills that were available to customers in the know. The judge described it as a “highly organised” criminal outfit that supplied a “vast array of controlled drugs on a vast scale”. As well as the retail side of their operation, the gang also operated a wholesale arm, which helped supply other drug dealers.
Police eventually brought down the network after carrying out a series of raids, including on a storage unit in north-west London and two distribution centres in Cromwell Road and South Kensington.
Officers seized almost 8.8lb of cocaine, 4.4lb of MDMA tablets and over 11lb of cannabis, estimated to be worth more than £1.3 million.
They also found £54,000 in cash, and three firearms with ammunition.
Tiago De-lima, 30, the only man involved, ran the operation and hired the women to help him. Vanessa Ananias, 29, left, controlled the gang’s day to day movements while Nayara Robeiro, 33, second from left, Andressa Santos, 24, third from left, and Nayene Fernandez-silva, 24, right, rode the mopeds to make deliveries.
De-lima was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment while Ananias was given six years. Robeiro, Santos and Fernandez-silva were each handed four and a half year sentences.
Larissy Nascimento Dos Reis, 24, who acted as bookkeeper for the organisation, was the final member of the gang, to be jailed when she appeared at Southwark Crown Court. She was given two years and three months.
Prosecutors said computers seized as evidence were able to demonstrate the scale of the operation, with almost £100,000 profit being cleared every month. Whatsapp messages revealed that most deals were for between 22-33lb cocaine but on one occasion 110lb of the drug changed hands.
There was also evidence of other criminality including selling fake IDS, moving people out of the country by helicopter and bribing a prison officer.
The judge ordered the destruction of the drugs and paraphernalia.