A major drug trafficking attempt has been thwarted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following the interception of a heroin shipment valued at more than N3 billion by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The agency confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old Brazilian national, Ingrid Benevides, who was taken into custody shortly after arriving in the country on a Qatar Airways flight.
According to NDLEA officials, the suspect had been under close surveillance prior to her arrival, based on intelligence suggesting she was part of an international drug trafficking operation targeting Nigeria.
Investigations revealed that the illicit drugs were carefully concealed inside factory-sealed packs of Brazilian coffee, a method intended to evade routine airport screening procedures.
“When our officers opened the coffee packs, the contents immediately raised suspicion,” NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said.
“Subsequent tests confirmed the substance to be heroin, with a total weight of 30.09 kilograms.”
Furthermore, the agency disclosed that the heroin consignment represents the largest single seizure recorded at the Abuja airport, underscoring the scale of the attempted smuggling operation.
A detailed search of the suspect’s two checked-in suitcases reportedly led to the recovery of 21 sealed coffee packs, all containing the prohibited drug.
During preliminary questioning, Benevides reportedly claimed she travelled to Nigeria for leisure, a statement authorities said conflicted with the nature and quantity of the drugs recovered.
“This interception demonstrates our resolve to dismantle transnational drug networks using Nigeria as a transit or destination point,” Babafemi said, adding that investigations were ongoing to identify other individuals connected to the operation.
The NDLEA reiterated that airports across the country remain under enhanced surveillance, warning traffickers that attempts to smuggle illicit substances into Nigeria would not succeed.