Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted another cocaine-laden vessel at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, barely six months after 10 Thai sailors were convicted and fined $4.3 million for trafficking 32.9kg of the drug into Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Agency’s Director of Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, revealed that officers discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed beneath the cargo of MV Nord Bosporus, a vessel marked 9760110, which arrived from the port of Santos in Brazil. The discovery was made on Sunday, 16th November 2025.
Following the interception, the ship’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other crew members—all Filipinos—were taken into custody for investigation.
The NDLEA subsequently approached the Federal High Court in Lagos seeking an order to detain the vessel and the crew members for further investigation. The motion ex-parte, filed under suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25, was presented before Justice Musa Kakaki, who on Thursday, 20th November 2025, granted a 14-day initial detention order for the vessel, the captain, and the 19 crew members.
Preliminary findings show that MV Nord Bosporus was visiting Nigeria—and indeed the African continent—for the first time. The ship has reportedly been used mostly for transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil, while Captain Corpus has spent only three months with the vessel.
The development echoes a similar case from October 2021, when the NDLEA arrested 10 Thai sailors and nine Nigerians aboard MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9kg of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria. They were convicted on 15th May 2025 by Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, and fined $4.3 million.
Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), hailed officers of the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for what he described as a display of vigilance, diligence, and professionalism.
Marwa noted that the interception demonstrates the Agency’s strengthened capacity and firm resolve in the ongoing war against drug trafficking. “We will continue to tighten our grip on all entry and exit points, especially our seaports, which transnational criminal organisations have historically attempted to exploit,” he said.
He issued a stern warning to international drug cartels and their local collaborators: “Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. You may scheme, you may attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance.”
Addressing Nigerians who may consider aiding foreign drug syndicates, Marwa cautioned that such actions amount to betraying the nation. “The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting. We will dismantle your structures, seize your illicit assets, and ensure your long-term incarceration,” he warned.
