A 30-year-old Brazilian lady named Ingrid Benevides was apprehended by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) agents at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja with 30.09 kilogrammes of heroin hidden in factory-sealed coffee sachets worth over N3 billion.
Following intelligence-led surveillance, the suspect—a Brazilian private security guard—was taken into custody on Friday, January 23, 2026, when she arrived in Abuja on Qatar Airways flight QR1431.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement released on Sunday that a search of her two checked-in baggage turned out 21 factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that these packs contained white materials that subsequently tested positive for heroin.
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According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Benevides allegedly took the illegal substances into Nigeria under the pretence of travelling there for vacation during preliminary interrogation.
“When the coffee bags were opened, rather than containing the beverage, white substances were found inside. These later tested positive for heroin, weighing a total of 30.09 kilograms, making it the single largest heroin seizure at the Abuja airport,” the statement read.
“In her preliminary interview, the suspect claimed she brought the heroin consignment under the guise of coming to Nigeria for holidays.”
In a related development, Babafemi said 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.
According to him, 3,990 pills containing 250 mg of tapentadol and 225 mg of tramaking were discovered in the suspects’ luggage, hidden among food items.
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Similarly, Babafemi revealed that early on Thursday, January 22, near Jakande Beach in Lekki, Lagos, agents of the agency’s Marine Command apprehended a wooden boat carrying 44 huge bags of Ghana Loud cannabis weighing 1,848 kilogrammes based on reliable intelligence.
The NDLEA claims that the seizures and arrests are a part of ongoing initiatives to disrupt drug trafficking networks, stop cross-border smuggling, and cut off the supply of illegal substances to terrorist and criminal organisations nationwide.
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