Court Orders Continued Detention of Foreign Vessel, Crew Over ₦Cocaine Seizure in Apapa Port

Editor1 week ago

0 1 2 minutes read

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on narcotics trafficking following a Federal High Court order for the continued detention of a foreign vessel, MV San Antonio, and its 21 crew members over an alleged major cocaine smuggling operation at the Apapa Port, Lagos.

Justice Friday Nkemakonam Ogazi, sitting at the Federal High Court in Lagos, granted an application filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) extending the detention of the vessel and its crew by an additional 14 days to enable investigators conclude ongoing probes into what authorities described as a complex, transnational drug trafficking network.

The ruling followed an intelligence-driven operation by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, who intercepted the vessel shortly after it berthed from Brazil on December 6, 2025. During a detailed examination of the ship, Customs officers uncovered 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 24 parcels, packed into five bags and hidden within a bulk consignment of sugar.

Following the discovery, Customs immediately detained the vessel and arrested all crew members, including the vessel’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, alongside 20 other crew members of various nationalities serving in different operational roles onboard.

In line with inter-agency protocols, the Nigeria Customs Service formally handed over the vessel, seized narcotics, and suspects to the NDLEA for further investigation and prosecution.

Justice Ogazi had earlier, on December 12, 2025, granted an ex parte application by NDLEA counsel, Barrister Kunle Adebajo, authorising the initial detention. When the matter was revisited, the NDLEA informed the court that investigations were still ongoing, citing the sophistication, concealment methods, and international links associated with the alleged crime.

The agency told the court that emerging intelligence suggested the involvement of a wider criminal syndicate with international reach, including possible Nigerian collaborators, necessitating additional time to dismantle the network and identify all actors involved.

In granting the extension, Justice Ogazi held that the application was meritorious and adjourned the matter to January 13 for a progress report on investigations.

Meanwhile, the NDLEA assured the court that investigative efforts had been intensified, including forensic analysis of the seized drugs, detailed interrogation of the crew members, and collaboration with international law enforcement agencies to trace the origin and intended destination of the illicit consignment. The agency also disclosed ongoing cooperation with foreign authorities to establish possible links between the vessel’s operators and known drug trafficking cartels across South America, Central America, and West Africa.

Earlier, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the seizure as a clear demonstration of the Service’s strengthened intelligence architecture and effective inter-agency collaboration.

“This seizure and the continued detention of the vessel should send a strong message to perpetrators of unlawful trade within our port system,” Oshoba said. “Customs is strengthening its synergy with sister agencies, and no criminal or group of lawless persons can beat us here.”

He added that the vessel’s travel history, including departures from Brazil and stopovers in Honduras, Guatemala, and other high-risk routes, raised red flags that informed the targeted inspection.

Fidelity Bank appoints Onwughalu as Chairman following completion of Chike-Obi’s tenure

Security analysts say the court’s decision underscores the gravity of the allegations and reflects growing judicial support for law enforcement agencies in combating transnational organised crime, particularly the use of Nigerian ports for illicit drug trafficking.

As investigations continue, both the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA have reiterated their commitment to ensuring that all individuals found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with Nigerian law, warning criminal networks that Nigeria’s ports are no longer safe corridors for drug trafficking and other prohibited activities.