Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for attempting to smuggle a large consignment of heroin into Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Ingrid Rosa Benevides, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, upon her arrival from Brazil aboard a Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following credible intelligence processed by the agency. NDLEA officers said the suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was placed under surveillance before her eventual arrest at the Abuja airport.
A thorough search of her two checked-in bags revealed 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee. However, further examination showed that the coffee packs did not contain the beverage. Instead, the packets were filled with white substances which later tested positive for heroin.
Confirming the arrest, the Director of Media and Advocacy for NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi, stated that the seized drugs weighed a total of 30.09 kilograms and have an estimated street value of over ₦3 billion. He added that the haul represents the single largest heroin seizure ever recorded at the Abuja airport.
During her preliminary interview, the suspect reportedly claimed that she brought the heroin consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for a holiday.
Babafemi also disclosed that in a related operation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, NDLEA operatives intercepted two passengers travelling to Istanbul, Turkey, on Tuesday, January 20. The suspects were found with a total of 3,990 pills of tramadol and tapentadol concealed inside food items packed in their bags.
In another development, operatives of the Marine Command of the agency intercepted a wooden boat conveying 44 jumbo bags of cannabis, popularly known as Ghana Loud, weighing 1,848 kilograms. The seizure was made in the early hours of Thursday, January 22, at Jakande Beach in Lekki, Lagos, shortly after the shipment arrived from Ghana.
The NDLEA said investigations into the cases are ongoing as the agency continues its nationwide efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse.
