Barely six months after 10 Thai sailors and their vessel were convicted for smuggling 32.9kg of cocaine into Nigeria, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted another drug-laden ship, MV Nord Bosporus, at Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The vessel, marked 9760110 and arriving from Santos, Brazil, carried no less than 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed within its cargo.
NDLEA officers discovered the illicit consignment on Sunday and took the ship’s master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, along with 19 other Filipino crew members, into custody for investigation.
Following the seizure, the agency filed a court application seeking the detention of the vessel and all 20 crew members. The motion, filed ex-parte in suit number FHC/L/MISC/1306/25, was heard before Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, who approved an initial 14-day detention of the ship and crew for further investigation.
Preliminary findings indicate that this was MV Nord Bosporus’ first voyage into Nigeria and Africa, having mainly transported coal between Colombia and Brazil. Captain Corpus had reportedly been with the vessel for only three months.
In a similar operation on October 13, NDLEA arrested 10 Thai sailors aboard MV Chayanee Naree for trafficking 32.9 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil through Apapa. Nine Nigerians were also taken into custody in connection with that case. The Thai sailors and the vessel were eventually convicted on May 15, 2025, by a Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor, and fined $4.3 million.
Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), commended the officers of the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their vigilance and professionalism.
“This cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” Marwa said.
He added, “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.”
Marwa reiterated the NDLEA’s zero-tolerance stance: “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.”
He also warned Nigerians considering collaboration with foreign drug syndicates: “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.”
