NDLEA Seizes 20kg Cocaine from Brazil-Bound Vessel, Detains 20 Filipino Crew Members

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine from Brazil, detaining 20 Filipino crew members on board the MV Nord Bosporus at Apapa seaport, Lagos. Officials confirmed that the vessel was carrying approximately 20 kilograms of the Class A drug hidden among its cargo.

The seizure occurred on Sunday, 16th November 2025, during routine checks by NDLEA officers. Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, the ship’s master, along with 19 other crew members, all Filipinos, were taken into custody. The agency subsequently applied for a court order to detain both the vessel and its crew for further investigation.

Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, granted the agency a 14-day detention order on Thursday, 20th November 2025, to facilitate preliminary investigations. NDLEA reports indicated that the vessel had previously been transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil and that this was its first visit to Nigeria and Africa. Captain Corpus has been with the ship for barely three months.

This interception comes six months after 10 Thai sailors were convicted for bringing 32.9 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria. NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) commended the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their diligence and professionalism in the operation.

Marwa stressed that the seizure underscores the agency’s enhanced operational capacity and unwavering commitment to preventing drug trafficking through Nigeria’s ports. “This is a clear message to international drug cartels and local collaborators: Nigeria will not be your foothold,” he said.

The NDLEA boss reiterated the consequences for Nigerians who assist foreign syndicates in drug trafficking, warning that aiding such operations would attract severe legal penalties. He further pledged that the agency would continue to use intelligence networks and international partnerships to dismantle illicit drug operations across the country.

Officials said investigations are ongoing, and all necessary steps will be taken to prosecute offenders and secure the confiscated cocaine.