Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted a cargo vessel, MV Nord Bosporus (IMO: 9760110), arriving from the Port of Santos in Brazil with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed beneath its shipment at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The discovery was made on Sunday, November 16, 2025, after NDLEA officers conducted a detailed search of the vessel. The ship’s Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and 19 crew members, all Filipino nationals, were immediately taken into custody for investigation.
Following the arrest, the Agency sought a court order to detain both the vessel and the crew. Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, granted an initial 14-day detention order on November 20, 2025 to allow for deeper investigations.
Preliminary findings show that MV Nord Bosporus was making its first voyage to Nigeria and the African continent. The vessel has primarily operated between Colombia and Brazil transporting coal, and Captain Corpus has only been on board for about three months.
This operation follows a similar case involving MV Chayanee Naree in 2021, when NDLEA arrested 10 Thai sailors and nine Nigerians over the trafficking of 32.9kg of cocaine from Brazil. In May 2025, Justice Daniel Osiagor convicted the foreign crew and imposed a $4.3 million fine on them.
Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised officers of the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Seaport Operations for their precision and professionalism.
He described the bust as proof of the agency’s strengthened operational capability and renewed resolve to shut down drug trafficking routes through Nigeria’s ports.
“This is a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” Marwa said. “We will continue to tighten our grip on every entry and exit point, especially the seaports that transnational criminal networks often target.”
He warned criminal cartels and their local collaborators that Nigeria will remain a hostile environment for illicit drug trade.
“You may scheme or deploy sophisticated concealment methods, but you will fail,” he stated, emphasizing the agency’s improved intelligence systems and international partnerships.
Marwa also issued a stern message to Nigerians aiding foreign drug syndicates, stressing that such acts amount to betraying the future of the nation.
“The consequences will be severe and unrelenting. We will dismantle your networks, seize your assets, and ensure long-term imprisonment,” he warned.
The NDLEA says investigations into the MV Nord Bosporus case are ongoing.
Comments