NDLEA heroin seizure Abuja as operatives arrest a Brazilian woman with 30kg of heroin concealed in coffee packs at the airport
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides, on Friday in Abuja after intercepting 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in coffee packs at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
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The suspect, a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on January 23, 2026, upon arrival aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following intelligence-led surveillance by NDLEA officers.
The agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said a search of Benevides’ two checked-in bags uncovered 21 factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee.
He said laboratory tests later confirmed that the packs contained heroin with a total weight of 30.09 kilograms, valued at over N3bn.
Babafemi described the seizure as the single largest heroin interception ever recorded at the Abuja airport.
He said the suspect claimed during preliminary interrogation that she brought the illicit drugs into Nigeria under the guise of a holiday visit.
In a related operation, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, intercepted two passengers travelling to Istanbul, Turkey.
Babafemi said the suspects, Adediran Adedoyin and Afatakpa Ochuko, were arrested on January 20 with 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramaking concealed in food items packed in their luggage.
Meanwhile, operatives of the NDLEA Marine Command intercepted a wooden boat conveying 44 jumbo bags of Ghana Loud cannabis weighing 1,848 kilograms at Jakande Beach, Lekki, Lagos.
Babafemi said the seizure was made in the early hours of January 22 after officers acted on credible intelligence.
In Kaduna State, NDLEA operatives arrested two suspects, Aminu Baba, 20, and Abdulrasheed Abubakar, 28, over the interception of two bags containing 140 packets of explosives.
He said the explosives were seized from a commercial bus along the Kaduna–Zaria highway, with arrests made during follow-up operations in Kano and Kaduna states.
Babafemi added that intelligence-driven operations across several states led to further arrests and seizures of tramadol, cannabis, pentazocine injections, codeine syrup and other illicit substances.
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The agency said the operations form part of sustained efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks, curb cross-border smuggling and prevent illicit drugs from reaching criminal and terrorist groups.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
