The bikini-clad Instagram influencer suspected of doubling as the queen of a drug trafficking ring called her arrest a “shame” and denied having any affiliation with the alleged interstate smuggling network.
Melissa Said decried her capture after authorities raided five of her properties across Brazil following a years-long investigation and accused her of transporting drugs between the states of Bahia and São Paulo.
“It’s a shame… no one in the world should be arrested for smoking marijuana,” Said proclaimed, according to The Sun.
Said dismissed the accusations that she was a drug mule or the leader of the supposed trafficking ring, the outlet reported.
The 23-year-old budding influencer — with over 376,000 followers on Instagram — built up her following with glamorous shots of herself smoking marijuana and marketing hemp-related products.
Her bio states, “I talk about ganja,” and Ervoafetiva or “weed loving.”
Police launched the multi-property raid, named Operation Erva Afectiva, in reference to Said’s Instagram account, on Wednesday.
During the operation, officials uncovered evidence of multiple suspicious financial transactions, and seized several electronic devices, according to The Sun.
Approximately three pounds of “skank” cannabis and a half pound of hashish— a concentrated form of cannabis made from the resin of the marijuana plant — were recovered during the operation.
Police also discovered small portions of marijuana, digital scales, plastic bags, cellphones, bank cards, and two vehicles believed to have been used in criminal activity.
Said was found hiding out at a friend’s home in the Bahia capital of Salvador.
At least four other suspects were captured during the raids, with one being charged with drug trafficking connected to the “skank.
Police launched its investigation into Said in 2024 after she was allegedly caught with drugs inside an airport.
Said is accused of advising followers how to evade law enforcement while transporting drugs and promoting ways of handing off “kits” filled with joints in the streets.
An investigation into her illicit dealings opened after she was allegedly caught with drugs inside an airport.
Officials believe she has been facilitating and encouraging the smuggling of illegal substances in Bahia and São Paulo.
She was allegedly identified as a buyer who distributed the drugs to people she had contact with on social media.
A special police drug force questioned Said on Thursday before she went under for a forensic exam.
She faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.
Said protested for the legalization of marijuana in Brazil in one of her last Instagram posts before her arrest.
It is illegal to sell marijuana in the South American nation.
Possession and cultivation for private, personal use were decriminalized by the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2006.
