Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have intercepted a 30-year-old Brazilian woman, Ingrid Benevides, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with 30.09 kilograms of heroin concealed in factory-sealed coffee packs valued at over N3bn. The suspect, a private security officer in Brazil, was arrested on Friday, January 23, 2026, upon her arrival in Abuja aboard Qatar Airways flight QR1431, following intelligence-led surveillance. 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. According to the NDLEA, the arrests and seizures are part of sustained efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks, curb cross-border smuggling, and cut off the supply of illicit drugs to criminal and terrorist groups across the country. Nigeria continues to face significant challenges from drug trafficking both domestically and across its borders; however, the NDLEA has intensified intelligence-driven operations targeting drug importation, distribution networks, and local trafficking syndicates.

Source: Punch January 26, 2026 06:20 UTC