Barely six months after 10 Thai sailors and their ship were convicted and fined $4.3 million for bringing 32.9 kg of cocaine into Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted another vessel carrying a significant quantity of illicit drugs.
The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, marked 9760110, from the port of Santos in Brazil, was intercepted at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, with no less than 20 kilograms of the Class A drug buried under its cargo.
The illicit drug consignment was discovered on board the vessel on Sunday, November 16; subsequently, the Master of the ship, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 other crew members, all Filipinos, were taken into custody for investigation.
According to NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, following the seizure and arrest of the crew members, the agency filed an application for a court order to detain the vessel and the 20 Filipinos on board for further investigation.
The motion ex-parte in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25 was argued before Justice Musa Kakaki of a Federal High Court, Lagos, who on Thursday, November 20 granted the application for an initial 14 days detention of the vessel, Capt. Corpus and 19 other Filipino crew members.
Babafemi, in a statement emailed to Persecondnews on Friday, November 21, 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.
The statement reads: “The agency had in a similar circumstance arrested ten sailors who are nationals of Thailand on October 13, 2021 on board a vessel named MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport.
“Nine Nigerian suspects were also arrested along with the Thai crew members.
“The ten Thai sailors and the vessel were eventually convicted on Thursday, May 15, 2025 by a Federal High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor who also fined them $4.3 million.”
Reacting to the latest significant seizure, the Chairman and CEO, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, commended the officers, men and women of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency, as well as the Directorate of Seaport Operations, for their vigilance, diligence, and professionalism.
Marwa said the cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve.
He said: “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.
“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.
“For any Nigerian who chooses to collaborate with foreign syndicates in the illicit drug trade, the NDLEA boss reminded them of the consequences of such. You are not just committing a crime; you are betraying your nation’s future.
“The consequences of aiding and abetting drug trafficking will be severe and unrelenting. We are committed to using the full force of the law to dismantle your structures, seize your illicit assets, and secure your long-term incarceration.”
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