The NDLEA has detained 20 Filipino crew members of MV Nord Bosporus after intercepting 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at Apapa Port, with a court granting a 14-day detention order for further investigation, while a separate 30-day operation in Kano led to 230 arrests and multiple seizures.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 20 Filipino crew members of the MV Nord Bosporus after 20 kilogrammes of cocaine were intercepted aboard the vessel, which arrived at Apapa Port from Santos, Brazil.
The agency said the contraband was discovered on 16 November 2025, leading to the arraignment of the Master, Captain Quino Eugene Corpus, and his crew before the Federal High Court in Lagos, where Justice Musa Kakaki granted a 14-day detention order to aid further investigations.
The NDLEA linked the case to a similar 2021 incident involving Thai sailors and noted that preliminary findings show this was the vessel’s first voyage to Nigeria. NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), praised officers for their vigilance, stating, “The cocaine seizure is not just an operational success but a clear demonstration of our heightened capacity and unwavering resolve,” while warning traffickers that “Nigeria is not, and will never be, your space or your foothold.”
He added that those aiding foreign syndicates face severe consequences, noting, “You are not just committing a crime; you are betraying your nation’s future.” Meanwhile, NDLEA operations in Kano resulted in the arrest of 230 suspects and the seizure of illicit substances and weapons during a 30-day joint crackdown conducted with multiple security agencies.