Manny Ita
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Rosa Benevides, in what has been described as the single largest heroin seizure in the facility’s history. The suspect, who works as a private security officer in Brazil, was apprehended on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival aboard a Qatar Airways flight from Brazil via Doha. The arrest followed a period of intense intelligence-led surveillance by anti-narcotics officers targeting international drug syndicates.
A comprehensive search of Benevides’ two checked-in suitcases led to the discovery of 21 factory-sealed packets labeled as Brazilian coffee. Upon closer inspection, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed that “when the coffee bags were opened, rather than containing the beverage, what was found inside were white substances that later tested positive for heroin.” The consignment weighed a total of 30.09 kilograms, with an estimated street value exceeding N3 billion. During preliminary interrogation, the suspect reportedly claimed she was “visiting Nigeria for the holidays” while serving as a mule for the illicit cargo.
The agency’s leadership has cited this bust as a major victory in the ongoing campaign to dismantle transnational drug cartels. In addition to the Abuja airport operation, the NDLEA also reported the interception of two passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on January 20, who were attempting to smuggle 3,990 pills of tapentadol and tramadol to Istanbul, Turkey. The agency reiterated its commitment to maintaining high-pressure surveillance at all entry points, with Chairman Buba Marwa charging officers to “sustain the current momentum in the war against illicit substances.”
