Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian national, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for attempting to smuggle heroin worth over ₦3 billion into Nigeria.
According to the Director of Media and Advocacy of the Agency, Mr. Femi Babafemi, the suspect was intercepted on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Brazil via Doha, following actionable intelligence. He disclosed that a search of her two checked-in bags led to the discovery of 21 factory-sealed coffee packs containing 30.09 kilograms of white heroin, the largest single seizure ever recorded at the Abuja airport.
Babafemi explained that preliminary investigations revealed the suspect, who work as a private security officer in Brazil, claimed she was visiting Nigeria on holiday, while concealing the illicit drugs in disguised coffee packages.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on January 20 intercepted two passengers, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, en route to Istanbul, Turkey, with 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramaking hidden inside food items in their luggage.
Elsewhere in Lagos, officers of the Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 1,848 kilograms of “Ghana Loud” cannabis at Jakande Beach, Lekki, while attempting to offload the shipment from Ghana.
In Kaduna and Kano States, two suspects, Aminu Ali Baba and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, were arrested in connection with the interception of bags containing explosives along the Kaduna–Zaria highway, while additional raids in Zaria led to the recovery of 120 kilograms of skunk.
Further operations in Borno, Kwara, Niger, Ekiti, Edo, Kano, Oyo, Benue, FCT, Lagos, Delta, and Ondo States resulted in the arrest of several suspects, including a village head and elderly individuals, with the seizure of tramadol, diazepam, pentazocine injections, cannabis, codeine syrup, and other illicit substances.
Meanwhile, NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaigns in schools and communities across Taraba, Osun, Imo, Benue, Katsina, and other states, as part of efforts to curb drug demand nationwide.
Commending the officers involved in the operations, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged them to sustain professionalism and commitment in dismantling drug trafficking networks and protecting public health and security.
The Agency reaffirmed its resolve to intensify intelligence-led operations and partnerships to stem the flow of illicit drugs and related criminal activities across the country.
