Nigerian Drug Agency Detains Ship, 20 Filipino Crew Over Major Cocaine Haul

Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting

A vessel and its 20 Filipino crew members have been detained in a Nigerian port after authorities discovered 20 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden aboard, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced.

The ship, identified as the MV Nord Bosporus, was intercepted at the Apapa seaport in Lagos after arriving from Santos, Brazil. According to the NDLEA, its officers found the Class A drug, with an estimated street value of millions of pounds, concealed beneath the ship’s legitimate cargo on Sunday, 16 November.

The agency stated that the Master of the ship, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and his 19 crewmates, all from the Philippines, were taken into custody for questioning.

In a swift legal move, the NDLEA secured a court order from the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday to detain the vessel and the entire crew for an initial period of 14 days to allow for a comprehensive investigation.

Preliminary findings suggest that this was the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria and the African continent. The agency reported that the ship had primarily been used for transporting coal between Colombia and Brazil, and that Captain Corpus had only been in command for approximately three months.

The seizure echoes a similar incident from 2021, which concluded in May of this year when a different ship, the MV Chayanee Naree, was convicted and fined $4.3 million (£3.4 million) for bringing 32.9kg of cocaine into Nigeria through the same port. Ten Thai sailors were involved in that case.

Reacting to the latest seizure, NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) praised his officers for their “vigilance, diligence and professionalism.”

He issued a stern warning to international drug cartels, stating, “Let this be an unambiguous message… Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold. The NDLEA is operating with zero tolerance.”

General Marwa also had a direct message for any Nigerians collaborating with foreign syndicates, accusing them of “betraying your nation’s future” and promising “severe and unrelenting” consequences.

The detention of the MV Nord Bosporus underscores the ongoing challenges faced by Nigerian authorities in securing the country’s busy seaports against the international drug trade. The investigation continues.