The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a Brazil-bound vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos with 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed under its cargo.
Twenty Filipino crew members, including the ship’s Captain, have been arrested as the agency intensifies its clampdown on maritime drug smuggling
The discovery was made on Sunday, 16th November 2025, during a coordinated operation by NDLEA personnel. Following the seizure, the ship’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other crew members, all Filipinos, were taken into custody for investigation.
According to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, the action was in line with the agency’s intensified surveillance and reinforced operational capacity at the nation’s maritime borders.
In the aftermath of the arrests, the NDLEA filed an application seeking judicial approval to detain the vessel and its crew for further investigation. The motion ex-parte, filed under Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/1306/25, was heard by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
On Thursday, 20th November 2025, the court granted a 14-day detention order for the vessel, the Captain, and the 19 crew members pending ongoing inquiries.
Preliminary findings revealed that the MV Nord Bosporus was visiting Nigeria, and indeed Africa, for the first time. The vessel had reportedly operated mostly between Colombia and Brazil transporting coal, while Captain Corpus had been with the ship for only three months before the arrest.
The development mirrors the 2021 arrest of 10 Thai sailors aboard MV Chayanee Naree, who were convicted in May 2025 along with their vessel for smuggling 32.9kg of cocaine into the country.
Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), lauded the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their vigilance and professionalism. He described the operation as evidence of the agency’s “heightened capacity and unwavering resolve” to secure the nation’s maritime borders.
Marwa said the interception sends an unmistakable warning to international drug syndicates and their domestic accomplices. “Let this be an unambiguous message to every international drug cartel and every internal collaborator: Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance, and we will not permit any illicit drug to pass through our borders, whether by air, land, or sea,” he warned.
He further stressed that the agency’s intelligence network, global partnerships, and enhanced operational systems have positioned Nigeria to stay ahead of clandestine drug trafficking attempts. “You may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail,” Marwa added.
On the involvement of Nigerians in transnational drug trafficking, Marwa issued a stern caution. “Anyone who chooses to collaborate with foreign syndicates is not just committing a crime but betraying the nation’s future. The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting,” he said, reaffirming the agency’s determination to dismantle criminal networks and ensure offenders face the full weight of the law.
