The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a ship, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO: 9760110), carrying 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed within its cargo after arriving from Santos Port in Brazil. The operation was conducted on Sunday, 16 November 2025, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
All 20 crew members, including the ship’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus—who is of Filipino nationality—were taken into custody for investigation. According to the NDLEA, this marks the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria or any African country, having previously operated mainly between Brazil and Colombia transporting coal.
Following the arrest, the Agency sought and obtained a court order for the detention of the vessel and its crew. Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos, ruling on motion ex-parte number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25, granted NDLEA’s request for an initial 14-day detention period to allow for further investigation.
This interception comes just months after NDLEA secured the conviction of 10 Thai sailors and their ship, MV Chayanee Naree, fined $4.3 million for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil into Nigeria. The judgment was delivered in May 2025 by Justice Daniel Osiagor.
Reacting to the recent seizure, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their “vigilance, diligence and professionalism.” He stated that the operation reflects the agency’s strengthened capacity to prevent drug trafficking through Nigeria’s borders.
“This seizure is a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” Marwa 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.”
Issuing a stern warning to international drug cartels, Marwa declared: “Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance. You may scheme and attempt sophisticated concealment, but you will fail.”
He also cautioned Nigerians collaborating with foreign drug syndicates: “You are betraying your nation’s future. The consequences will be severe and unrelenting. We will dismantle your structures, seize your illicit assets, and ensure long-term incarceration.”