Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian national, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after discovering 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs. The consignment is estimated to have a street value exceeding N3 billion.
Benevides, a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival on Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following what the NDLEA described as “processed intelligence.” A search of her two checked-in bags uncovered 21 sealed packets labeled as Brazilian coffee, which on further examination contained white substances that tested positive for heroin.
The agency described the seizure as the largest heroin interception ever recorded at Abuja Airport. During preliminary questioning, Benevides reportedly claimed she brought the drugs into Nigeria under the pretense of a holiday visit.
In a separate operation, NDLEA officers at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, intercepted two passengers traveling to Istanbul with 3,990 tablets of tapentadol 250mg and tramaking 225mg hidden in food items in their luggage.
Additionally, the agency’s Marine Command seized 1,848 kilograms of high-potency cannabis in 44 jumbo bags from a wooden boat at Jakande Beach, Lekki, Lagos State. The shipment had just arrived from Ghana when NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence intercepted it at around 1 a.m. on Thursday, January 22.
Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, stated that these arrests and seizures demonstrate the agency’s commitment to disrupting both international and domestic drug trafficking networks. Investigations into all cases are ongoing, and suspects will be charged in court upon the completion of preliminary inquiries.
