Influencer arrested in cannabis trafficking and money laundering case

Melissa Said, a 23-year-old Brazilian social media influencer, was arrested on Thursday, October 23, in Salvador, Bahia, after a police operation linked her to an alleged interstate cannabis trafficking and money laundering network, authorities said. Police raided multiple properties tied to Said on Wednesday and detained several suspected accomplices in Salvador and São Paulo as part of the operation, officials added.

State investigators said the probe, launched in 2024 after Said was reportedly found with drugs at an airport, identified her as a central figure who promoted cannabis use online, sold narcotics through social contacts and helped coordinate transport between suppliers in Bahia and São Paulo. Officers executing the raids seized electronic devices, cash and documents that investigators described as evidence of suspicious financial transactions. Law enforcement also recovered quantities of cannabis and hashish, digital scales, plastic bags, bank cards, mobile phones and two vehicles believed to be linked to the alleged scheme. One suspect was charged after police found about 1.4 kilograms of skank cannabis, authorities said.

Officials named the operation Erva...