NDLEA INTERCEPTS VESSELS FROM BRAZIL WITH 20KG OF COCAINE, ARREST 20 FILIPINOS

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At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, agents of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency apprehended the MV Nord Bosporus (IMO 9760110), a ship headed for Brazil, carrying twenty kilograms of cocaine. On Sunday, November 16, 2025, the material was found hidden beneath the ship’s cargo. NDLEA then detained the ship’s master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 crew members, all of whom were Filipino, according to a statement issued on Friday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi. According to Babafemi, the NDLEA requested a court order to hold the ship and crew for additional investigation after the arrest.

“The motion ex parte in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25 was argued before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, who on Thursday, 20th November 2025, granted the application for an initial 14-day detention of the vessel, Capt. Corpus and 19 other Filipino crew members, ” the statement added.

According to him, preliminary findings showed that the MV Nord Bosporus was vi20 FILLIPINOSsiting Nigeria and Africa for the first time.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that this was the first time the vessel was coming to Nigeria and Africa, as it’s been largely transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil, while Captain Corpus has been barely three months with the ship,” he said.

The latest interception comes six months after 10 Thai sailors aboard the MV Chayanee Naree were convicted for attempting to bring 32.9 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the same port.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had on May 15, 2025, fined the sailors and the vessel $4.3 million.

Speaking, the NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), commended the Apapa Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for the seizure.

He described the operation as further proof of the agency’s increased capacity and commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders.

Marwa added, “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.

“You may scheme, you may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail. Our intelligence network, collaboration with international partners, and the dedication of our officers are steps ahead of your nefarious activities.”

He also cautioned Nigerians working with foreign drug syndicates, saying they would face severe legal consequences.