A glamorous Brazilian influencer accused of being a drug trafficking boss broke her silence after her arrest.
Melissa Said, 23, was on the run after police linked her to a criminal substance smuggling organization.
She is known for posting marijuana-related content on social media and has 351,000 followers on Instagram alone.
Breaking her silence on Friday, she called her arrest a “shame,” defended her drug use and claimed she was not involved in trafficking.
She said: “It’s a shame…no one in the world should be arrested for smoking marijuana.”
Said admitted to using marijuana but strongly denied being a secret drug mule.
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It comes after she was charged with leading a group allegedly involved in cannabis distribution and money laundering in the northeastern state of Bahia.
Local police had reportedly raided five properties linked to the 23-year-old and her alleged organisation.
She was arrested after being located at a friend’s house in the Itapua neighborhood, in Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia.
Next, agents from a police unit specialized in drugs questioned the influencer turned alleged drug kingpin.
Two alleged male accomplices of Said, who share cannabis-related content on their social networks, were arrested on the outskirts of Salvador and two others in São Paulo.
Police had accused Said of promoting drug use among his social media followers and advising them how to evade police if they were traveling with narcotics.
She had also been identified as a buyer who allegedly distributed drugs to some of her contacts on social media.
Ernandes Junior, director of the State Department for the Prevention and Repression of Drug Trafficking (DENARC), said the anti-narcotics operation, called Operation Eva Affective, resulted in several arrests, including that of Melissa.
He said: “The objective of this operation is to combat drug trafficking, the main being aim be a digital influencer who promotes crime.
“It was discovered that, in addition to promoting crime and drug consumption, it also sells and distributes narcotics in Bahia, having some São Paulo residents among its suppliers.”
Cops confiscated electronic devices, cash and found evidence of multiple suspicious financial transactions as part of Operation Erva Afetiva, which translates to marijuana lover, the same phrase Melissa has plastered in her Instagram bio.
One of the other suspects was charged with drug trafficking when police discovered 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 have been used in the influencer’s criminal activity.
If convicted, the social media star could face up to 25 years in prison.
She was questioned on Thursday and subsequently underwent a forensic examination.
Investigations into the influencer began in 2024, after she was allegedly 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 talked about the legalization of marijuana while appearing to smoke an unknown substance.
She was married to content creator Tássio Bacelar, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in October 2023 when he was 40 years old.
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At the time, Melissa posted on social media: “Forever in my heart, my love. I love you more than anything.”
He began producing content in 2022, when Tássio had already established himself as an influencer.