NDLEA nab Brazilian woman with 30kg of heroin at Abuja Airport

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large quantity of heroin into Nigeria.

The suspect was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, shortly after she arrived in Abuja on a Qatar Airways flight, QR1431.

The NDLEA said the operation was carried out after intelligence-driven surveillance on her movement.

In a statement released on Sunday, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said NDLEA officers became suspicious while searching two suitcases checked in by the Brazilian national.

Babafemi disclosed that the suspect, who works as a private security operative in her home country, was taken into custody after the items raised concerns during routine checks.

The luggage was found to contain 21 sealed packs labelled as Brazilian coffee. However, further inspection revealed that the packs held a white substance which laboratory tests later confirmed to be heroin, with a combined weight of 30.09 kilograms.

The NDLEA said the illicit drugs, estimated to be worth more than N3 billion on the streets, represent the largest single heroin seizure ever recorded at the Abuja airport.

During initial questioning, Benevides told investigators that she travelled to Nigeria under the pretext of a holiday, while allegedly transporting the prohibited consignment.

The agency reiterated its resolve to strengthen intelligence-led checks at airports and other entry points to curb transnational drug trafficking and safeguard the country from the inflow of illicit substances.

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