A 23-year-old Brazilian influencer has been taken into custody, facing allegations of leading a ‘drug trafficking ring’.
Melissa Said, a prominent figure on social media with over 300,000 Instagram followers, frequently shares content featuring her smoking marijuana. She now faces accusations of endorsing drug use.
On October 22, Said allegedly went into hiding after becoming aware that the Bahia Civil Police sought her in connection with drug trafficking charges. She was apprehended at a friend’s residence the following day.
In Brazil, marijuana carries legal complexities. While the drug itself is illegal, possessing small quantities for personal use is not classified as a crime anymore.
Last year, the country’s Supreme Court decided that Brazilians could have up to 40 grams of cannabis without facing legal consequences, as reported by The New York Times.
Said made a court appearance over the weekend, resulting in a judge ordering her to remain in temporary detention. According to CNN Brazil, she is under investigation for drug use promotion and association with drug trafficking.
Authorities also accuse Said of selling, storing, and distributing marijuana in El Salvador. Her involvement reportedly extends to advising her followers on evading law enforcement.
Denying the charges, Said described her arrest as ‘a shame’ during an interview with Brazilian news outlet G1, stating, “No one should be arrested for smoking marijuana.”
Her defense argues that the accusations are solely based on her social media activity, yet police suspect her as the mastermind behind a criminal network.
She was the focal point of law enforcement’s ‘Operation Eva Afectiva’.
Ernandes Junior, director of the State Department for Prevention and Suppression of Drug Trafficking (DENARC), discussed the operation, saying: “The objective of this operation is to combat drug trafficking, with the main target being a digital influencer who promotes crime.”
He further elaborated on the influencer’s activities, according to news.com.au: “It was discovered that in addition to promoting crime and drug use, she also sells and distributes narcotics in Bahia, with some people from São Paulo as one of her suppliers.”
If found guilty, Said could face a prison sentence of up to 25 years.
The investigation into the social media influencer reportedly began last year after she was found with a substantial amount of drugs at Salvador airport.
The operation also resulted in the arrest of four others; two individuals were detained in Lauro de Freitas, while the other two were apprehended in São Paulo.