NDLEA Secures Order to Detain Vessel, 21 Crew Members Over 25.5kg Cocaine Seizure at Apapa Port
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos to detain a ship, its captain, and 20 other crew members following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in the hatch of a commodity vessel from Brazil at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The NDLEA operatives, acting on credible intelligence, discovered the cocaine consignment aboard the merchant vessel MV San Antonio from Brazil on December 6, 2025. After the complete discharge of the ship’s cargo, a total of 21 crew members of various nationalities, including Russia, Phillipines, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan, were taken into NDLEA custody along with the drug exhibits.
This development was disclosed in a statement made available to ThelensNG by NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Wednesday.
According to the statement, the seizure followed a similar interception by NDLEA officers of another commodity-laden vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, which arrived from the port of Santos in Brazil. No fewer than 20 kilograms of the Class A drug were discovered buried under its cargo during an operation at the Apapa seaport on November 16, 2025.
Suspects taken into custody in connection with the latest seizure include the master of the vessel, Trofymov Oleksandr, and other crew members namely — Stoychev Sergiy, Bobrov Maksim, Stupnytsky Sergiy, Bitinev Aleksei, Novruzov Teymur, Sosnov Oleg, Bondar Ihor, Klymenko Oleh, Cala Michael De Jesus, Jamir Julfikhar Jacusalem, Blanco Crus Veloso, Fajardo Ronnel Luntaao, Gumela Lolito Jr. Serojano, Toston Romulo Jr. Oling, Smirnov Viacheslav, Gorre Mar Kemmeth Tabudlong, Cruz John Vhoie Glavez, Sablan Jamille Alorro, Abesia Kelvin Belarmino, and Ubay Kenneth Biaoco.
Babafemi revealed that in line with international legal protocols, the NDLEA on Friday, December 12, filed an ex-parte application in Suit No. FHC/L/MISC/1408/2025 before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, seeking an order to detain the ship and the 21 crew members pending the filing of charges against them.
Ruling on the application, the judge said: “An order of court is hereby made extending the detention of the Vessel MV San Antonio being investigated by the applicant, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for fourteen (14) days in the first instance following the seizure of 25.5 kilograms of cocaine aboard the said vessel on 6th December, 2025, at Apapa seaport, Lagos, pending the conclusion of investigation and/or filing of criminal charge and prosecution.”
The court thereafter adjourned the matter to December 29, 2025.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), stated that the latest seizure reinforced his earlier warning to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that they would not gain a foothold in Nigeria.
Marwa commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency for the back-to-back successful operations, saying: “This is no doubt a testament to NDLEA’s heightened capacity and unwavering resolve to frustrate the drug syndicates targeting the West African sub-region especially Nigeria.”
He assured that the Agency would continue to collaborate with local and international partners to maintain zero tolerance for substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
