Brazilian influencer Melissa Saeed was arrested after being chased on charges of running a “drug trafficking network”

A fugitive bikini-clad Brazilian influencer has been arrested after being accused of being the leader of an interstate drug trafficking and money laundering operation.

Melissa Said – who has more than 340,000 followers on Instagram – has been on the run since Wednesday when civil police in Bahia raided five of her properties in northeastern Brazil, according to Brazilian news outlet Correo.

The 23-year-old social media star was the suspected leader of a major criminal gang involved in cannabis distribution and money laundering. She is accused of facilitating and encouraging the smuggling of illicit substances in Bahia and São Paulo.

Saeed was arrested while hiding in a friend’s house in Al Bahia, after an intensive surveillance and intelligence operation.

Police began their investigation into the influencer in 2024 after she was allegedly caught with drugs at an airport, and was accused of advising her followers on how to evade law enforcement while transporting drugs, and promoting herself by distributing “kits” containing joints on the streets.

Wednesday’s raids – part of “Operation Erva Aviteva” (which translates to “love of weeds”, the same phrase she used in her attack Instagram bio) – led to the arrest of three suspected accomplices, one of whom is accused of drug trafficking, after police confiscated 1.4 kilograms of marijuana “skank,” police said.

Police said they also found 270 grams of hashish – a concentrated form of hashish made from the resin of the marijuana plant – small parts of marijuana, digital scales, plastic bags, mobile phones, bank cards and two vehicles believed to have been used in criminal activity.

The police did not reveal the identity of the third person who was arrested.

Known for her activism in promoting the legalization of cannabis, Saeed initially evaded arrest during the raids and was considered a fugitive until her arrest on Thursday.

“The goal of this operation is to combat drug trafficking, and the main target is the digital influencer who promotes the crime,” said Hernandez Jr., director of the State Department for the Prevention and Suppression of Drug Trafficking.

“It was discovered that in addition to promoting crime and drug use, she is also selling and distributing drugs in Bahia, with some people from São Paulo as one of her suppliers.”

The investigation into her alleged involvement in drug smuggling is still ongoing.

If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison.

The influencer is scheduled to face questioning with her lawyer on Thursday night — after which she will undergo a forensic examination and remain in custody until her custody hearing, Koryo reports.

In her last video she posted to Instagram on October 2, the weed-loving social media star discussed marijuana legalization while appearing to smoke what appears to be a cigarette.

Saeed was married to influencer Tasio Baselaar, who tragically died in a bike accident in October 2023, according to the outlet.