.The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has apprehended a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ms. Ingrid Rosa Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja for smuggling 30.09 kilograms of white heroin valued at over N3 billion, concealed within factory
The suspect who works as a private security officer in Brazil was arrested at the Abuja airport on Friday 23rd January 2026 upon her arrival on a Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following processed intelligence. After her arrest, a search was conducted on her two checked-in bags where 21 factory-sealed packets of Brazilian coffee were found.
When the coffee bags were opened, rather than containing the beverage, what was found inside were white substances that later tested positive for heroin weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport. During her preliminary interview, the suspect claimed she brought the white heroin consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays.
Following the arrest and seizure, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, emphasized the importance of maintaining the current standard of professionalism among operatives and colleagues across the country in all drug-related activities.
