Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a vessel carrying 20 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed beneath cargo at the Apapa seaport in Lagos, marking another major breakthrough in Nigeria’s fight against transnational drug trafficking.
The vessel, MV Nord Bosporus (9760110), arrived from the port of Santos in Brazil before NDLEA officers uncovered the illicit shipment on Sunday, November 16, 2025. Following the discovery, the ship’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 Filipino crew members were detained for investigation.
NDLEA said it sought and obtained a court order to detain the vessel and all 20 crew members for an initial 14 days. Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, granted the request on Thursday, November 20, 2025, enabling further probe into the trafficking operation.
Preliminary findings revealed that this was the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria, having primarily transported coal between Colombia and Brazil. Captain Corpus had also been with the ship for just three months.
The arrest comes six months after 10 Thai sailors were convicted and fined $4.3 million for bringing 32.9kg of cocaine into Nigeria aboard MV Chayanee Naree in 2021.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised the Apapa Command and Seaport Operations Directorate for their vigilance and professionalism. He described the seizure as “a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve”, warning international cartels that Nigeria would not serve as a gateway or safe haven.
Marwa stressed the agency’s zero-tolerance stance, adding that NDLEA’s intelligence network and international cooperation have significantly strengthened its ability to intercept illicit shipments.
He also issued a stern warning to Nigerians collaborating with global drug syndicates, stating that such individuals are “betraying the nation’s future” and would face severe legal consequences.
The NDLEA says it remains committed to tightening security across all entry and exit points—airports, seaports, and land borders—to dismantle trafficking rings and protect national integrity.
