NDLEA Detains Vessel, 21 Crew Members Over 25kg Cocaine Seizure at Lagos Port

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured a court order to detain a merchant vessel, MV San Anthonio, and its 21 crew members, including the captain, after seizing 25.5 kilograms of cocaine at the Apapa seaport in Lagos. The drugs were discovered concealed in the hatch of the vessel, which arrived from Brazil on December 6, 2025.

The NDLEA operatives, acting on intelligence, took the crew members into custody, comprising nationals from different countries, along with the seized cocaine. Those detained include the vessel’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, and 20 other crew members.

According to the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the agency filed an ex parte application before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi of the Federal High Court in Lagos, seeking the detention of the vessel and crew pending the conclusion of investigations and the filing of charges.

This latest interception follows a similar seizure on November 16, when NDLEA officers intercepted another vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, from Santos in Brazil, with about 20 kilograms of cocaine concealed under its cargo at the same seaport.

The NDLEA has been working to investigate the incident and bring those involved to justice, in line with international legal procedures.