Brazilian influencer Melissa Said broke her silence after being arrested on drug trafficking charges

The bikini-clad Instagram influencer is suspected of doubling up on the role Queen of a drug smuggling ring She described her arrest as a “disgrace” and denied any connection to the alleged interstate smuggling network.

Melissa Said denounced her arrest after authorities raided five of her properties across Brazil after a years-long investigation and accused her of transporting drugs between the states of Bahia and São Paulo.

“It is a shame,” Saeed said. “No one in the world should be arrested for smoking marijuana.” To the sun.

The newspaper reported that Saeed denied the accusations that she was a drug smuggler or the leader of a supposed smuggling ring.

The 23-year-old emerging influencer — with more than 376,000 followers on Instagram — has built her following with glamorous snapshots of herself smoking marijuana and marketing cannabis-related products.

Her bio states “I’m talking about ganja” and “Ervoafetiva” or “weed lover.”

Police launched a raid on several properties, under the name Operation Erva Afectiva, in reference to Saeed’s Instagram account, on Wednesday.

During the operation, officials uncovered evidence of several suspicious financial transactions and seized several electronic devices, according to The Sun.

Nearly three pounds of hashish and a half-pound of hashish — a concentrated form of hashish made from the resin of the marijuana plant — were seized during the operation.

Police also found small amounts of marijuana, digital scales, plastic bags, cell phones, bank cards and two vehicles believed to have been used in criminal activity.

Said was found hiding at a friend’s house in the capital of Bahia, El Salvador.

At least four other suspects were arrested during the raids, one of whom was charged with drug trafficking linked to “skank.”

Police began their investigations into Saeed in 2024 after she was allegedly arrested with drugs inside the airport.

Saeed is accused of advising his followers on how to evade law enforcement while transporting drugs and promoting methods to deliver “kits” full of joints on the streets.

An investigation was opened into her illegal dealings after she was caught with drugs inside the airport.

Officials believe she was facilitating and encouraging the smuggling of illegal substances in Bahia and São Paulo.

She was allegedly a buyer who distributed the drugs to people she contacted through social media.

A special drug police force interrogated Saeed on Thursday before she underwent a forensic examination.

She faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty.

Saeed protested against marijuana legalization in Brazil in one of her last Instagram posts before her arrest.

It is illegal to sell marijuana in the South American country.

Possession and cultivation for private and personal use was decriminalized by the Brazilian Supreme Court in 2006.