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A BRAZILIAN influencer who went on the run after she was accused of being a drug trafficking boss has been arrested at a friend’s house.
Glamorous Melissa Said, who boasts 351,000 followers on Instagram, vanished on Wednesday after being linked to a criminal organisation.
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The group is said to be involved with the distribution of cannabis and money laundering in the north-east state of Bahia.
Local police had reportedly raided five properties linked to the 23-year-old and her alleged organisation.
Overnight it emerged she had been held and taken into custody after being tracked down to a pal’s home in the neighbourhood of Itapua in the Bahia state capital Salvador.
She is expected to appear in court later today after being questioned by officers from a specialist police drug unit.
Read more on drug arrests
Two alleged male accomplices of Melissa, who share content related to cannabis on her social media, were held on the outskirts of Salvador and another two in São Paulo.
Police had accused the 23-year-old of promoting the consumption of drugs to her social media followers and advising them on how to evade police if they travelled with narcotics.
She had also been identified as a buyer who allegedly distributed drugs to some of her social media contacts.
Ernandes Junior, director for the State Department for Prevention and Suppression of Drug Trafficking (DENARC), said the anti-narcotics operation, named Operation Eva Afectiva, resulted in several arrests including that of Melissa.
He said: “The objective of this operation is to combat drug trafficking, with the main target being a digital influencer who promotes crime.
“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.”
Cops seized electronic devices, cash, and found evidence of multiple suspicious financial transactions as part of Operation Erva Afetiva, which translates to weed loving – the same phrase Melissa has plastered on her Instagram bio.
One of the other suspects was charged with drug-trafficking as cops uncovered 1.4 kilograms of “skank” cannabis.
Local police said they recovered 270 grams of hashish – a concentrated form of weed made from the resin of the plant itself.
They also found small portions of cannabis, mobile phones, bank cards and two vehicles believed to be used in the influencers criminal activity.
If convicted the social media star could face up to 25 years in prison.
She was questioned on Thursday and later underwent a forensic exam.
Investigations into the influencer began in 2024, after she was reportedly caught with drugs at an airport and taken to a police station.
Melissa’s last Instagram post before becoming a fugitive was a video in which she discussed the legalisation of marijuana while appearing to smoke an unknown substance.
She was married to content creator Tássio Bacelar who tragically died in a motorbike accident in October 2023 when he was 40-years-old.
At the time, Melissa posted on social media: “Forever in my heart, my love. I love you more than anything.”
She began producing content in 2022 when Tássio was already established as an influencer.
This latest drug trafficking arrest comes after Britain saw a flurry of drug-smuggling cases this summer, including Bella Culley, 18, who was duped into taking drugs to Georgia from Thailand.
Budding travel influencer Charlotte May Lee, 21, also carried drugs from Thailand to Sri Lanka.
English (US) · 