Court Orders Detention of Vessel, 21 Crew over Cocaine Seizure at Apapa Port
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has obtained a Federal High Court order authorising the detention of a merchant vessel and its 21 crew members following the interception of a cocaine shipment at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
NDLEA operatives, acting on actionable intelligence, discovered 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in the hatch of the commodity vessel MV San Antonio, which arrived from Brazil on December 6, 2025. After the ship completed the discharge of its cargo, the captain and 20 other crew members of different nationalities were taken into custody alongside the seized drugs.
The arrest follows a similar operation last month in which NDLEA officers intercepted another Brazil-bound vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, at the same port with about 20 kilograms of cocaine hidden beneath its cargo.
Those detained in the latest operation include the ship’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, and crew members from countries including Russia, the Philippines, Ukraine and Azerbaijan.
In line with international legal procedures, the NDLEA on December 12 filed an ex parte application before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking an order to detain the vessel and crew pending the conclusion of investigations and the filing of formal charges. Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi granted the request, approving a 14-day detention of the vessel and suspects, and adjourned the matter to December 29, 2025.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the seizure underscored the agency’s determination to deny international drug syndicates access to Nigeria.
He commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command for the successful operations, noting that the agency would continue to work closely with local and international partners to combat drug trafficking and uphold zero tolerance for illicit drugs in the country.
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