In a stark warning to criminals exploiting social media, an Albanian drug dealer has been jailed after he was caught red-handed selling Class A drugs to an undercover police officer on Facebook and TikTok.
Gent Ibraj, 31, operated with shocking audacity, using the platforms' direct messaging functions to openly advertise and negotiate the sale of high-purity cocaine. The elaborate undercover operation, run by West Midlands Police, culminated in a dramatic face-to-face meeting where Ibraj was finally apprehended.
The Social Media Trap
Acting on intelligence, undercover officers infiltrated Ibraj's digital network. Posing as potential buyers, they engaged with him after he brazenly promoted his illegal trade on his public profiles. The subsequent exchanges, which took place over direct messages, left a damning digital footprint of his criminal activity.
Ibraj, who had overstayed his visa, arranged to meet the officer he believed was a customer in a public location. Confident in his social media shield, he had no idea he was walking into a meticulously planned police trap.
Justice Served at Wolverhampton Crown Court
The evidence gathered through screenshots and communication logs was overwhelming. At Wolverhampton Crown Court, Gent Ibraj pleaded guilty to two counts of offering to supply Class A drugs. He was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
Following his prison term, he faces automatic deportation back to Albania, barring him from re-entering the UK. The case highlights a growing and alarming trend of criminals using mainstream social platforms to conduct illicit business with a perceived sense of anonymity.
Police have issued a renewed warning to individuals attempting to use social media for crime, emphasising that no platform is beyond the reach of law enforcement. The successful prosecution underscores the evolving tactics used by police to combat digital-age drug dealing and protect vulnerable users online.
