The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a Brazilian national, Ingrid Rosa Benevides, over an attempt to smuggle heroin worth more than N3 billion into Nigeria.
This is according to a statement issued by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
The 30-year-old lady was arrested on Friday, January 23, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following intelligence-led operations by NDLEA operatives
What NDLEA said
The NDLEA disclosed that Benevides arrived in Nigeria aboard a Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Brazil. A search of her two checked-in bags revealed 21 factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee. However, further examination revealed that the packs did not contain coffee.
When the sealed coffee packs were opened, NDLEA officers found white substances that were later tested and confirmed to be heroin. The total weight of the seized drugs was put at 30.09 kilograms, with an estimated street value of over N3 billion.
“A total of 30.09 kilograms of white heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs worth over N3 billion in street value,” they stated
The Agency said the suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, claimed during preliminary interrogation that she brought the consignment under the guise of visiting Nigeria for holidays.
Airport and border interceptions
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted two passengers, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, on Tuesday, January 20, while attempting to travel to Istanbul, Turkey.
The Agency said a total of 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramadol were recovered from their luggage, concealed inside food items.
- In Lagos, operatives of the NDLEA Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud cannabis weighing 1,848 kilograms at Jakande Beach, Lekki, in the early hours of Thursday, January 22.
- The NDLEA also confirmed the arrest of two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, in connection with the interception of two bags containing 140 packets of explosives heading to Kano and Kaduna. The explosives were intercepted along the Kaduna–Zaria highway, while follow-up operations led to the arrest of the suspects in Kano and Kaduna respectively.
- In Borno State, NDLEA operatives intercepted 179,590 pills of tramadol and diazepam concealed in sacks of charcoal and animal feed in a commercial vehicle coming from Yobe State. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the owner of the consignment, Rabiu Imam.
Nationwide raids
Across several states, the Agency reported multiple arrests and seizures, including:
- The arrest of a 72-year-old suspect, Afolalu Joseph, in Ekiti State, with 62 kilograms of skunk
- The arrest of an Edo village head, Chief James Abamu, and another suspect with 681 kilograms of skunk and 181 kilograms of cannabis seeds
- The seizure of large quantities of tramadol, skunk, pentazocine injections, codeine syrup, and other illicit substances in Lagos, Oyo, Delta, Benue, Niger, Kwara, FCT, Kano, Ondo, and Jigawa States
The NDLEA said several suspects are currently in custody, while investigations and prosecutions are ongoing.
What you should know
The arrest of the Brazilian national is part of a recurring pattern of foreign-linked drug trafficking cases uncovered by the NDLEA at Nigeria’s international airports.
- In October 2024, NDLEA operatives arrested a Thailand returnee at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after intercepting 13.30 kilograms of heroin valued at over N3.1 billion concealed in backpacks inside two suitcases.
- Also in October 2024, the agency arrested a Canada-based nurse alongside two businessmen at the Lagos airport. The operation led to the seizure of 35.7 kilograms of a synthetic cannabis strain commonly referred to as Canadian Loud, as well as cocaine recovered from a suspect who had ingested the drug prior to arrival.
- Early last year, NDLEA officers arrested two suspected drug traffickers at the Lagos and Port Harcourt airports, including a passenger travelling with a Sierra Leonean passport. The suspects were found to have ingested wraps of heroin, which were later recovered following body scans and observation.
