January 25, 2026 — Dalena Reporters
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for allegedly attempting to smuggle 30.09 kilograms of heroin into Nigeria, authorities said in a statement.
Benevides, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was taken into custody on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival from Doha on Qatar Airways flight QR1431, the agency said, adding that her arrest resulted from intelligence-led surveillance.
According to the NDLEA’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, officers found the drugs concealed inside 21 factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee in her two checked bags. When opened, the packs contained white substances that later tested positive for heroin, with a total street value of more than ₦3 billion.
The agency described the seizure as the largest heroin interception ever recorded at Abuja Airport. During preliminary questioning, Benevides reportedly claimed she brought the contraband into the country under the pretext of visiting Nigeria for a holiday.
The NDLEA also highlighted other recent operations, including interceptions of 3,990 pills of controlled substances at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and recovery of 44 jumbo bags of cannabis from a boat in Lekki, Lagos State, among other enforcement actions.
Investigations into Benevides’s network and intended distribution channels are ongoing, and she is expected to be formally charged in court once the NDLEA completes its preliminary inquiry.