The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a vessel carrying 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil and detained its 20-member Filipino crew after a major operation at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
Director, Media & Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi said the ship, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO 9760110), which arrived from the Port of Santos in Brazil, was searched by NDLEA operatives on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Officers discovered the Class A drug concealed beneath the vessel’s cargo.
Following the discovery, the ship’s captain, Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other Filipino crew members were taken into custody for investigation.
The agency subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Lagos for an order to detain both the vessel and the crew. Justice Musa Kakaki, presiding over suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25, granted an initial 14-day detention order on Thursday, November 20, 2025.
Preliminary findings show this was the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria or any African country, as it had reportedly operated mostly between Colombia and Brazil transporting coal. Captain Corpus had also only joined the vessel three months earlier.
This incident comes barely six months after a Federal High Court convicted 10 Thai sailors and fined them $4.3 million for trafficking 32.9kg of cocaine into Nigeria aboard the MV Chayanee Naree in 2021.
Reacting to the latest interception, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the Apapa Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their vigilance and professionalism.
Marwa described the seizure as a testament to the agency’s strengthened capacity and unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders. He issued a stern warning to international drug cartels, saying:
“Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. We will not permit any illicit drug to pass through our borders—by air, land, or sea.”
He also cautioned Nigerians collaborating with foreign drug syndicates, stressing that they face severe consequences for betraying the nation’s future.
