Recently, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria announced that it has detained 20 Filipino crew members and is investigating the cocaine concealed within the ship’s cargo.
On November 28, the Department of Migrant Workers of the Philippines issued a statement saying it has contacted the relevant Nigerian authorities and confirmed that the treatment of the involved crew members complies with regulations. Although they are currently restricted to their ship, the situation is being handled appropriately.
It is reported that on November 16, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier “Nord Bosporus”, with a deadweight tonnage of 60,457 tons, arrived at the port of Lagos, Nigeria. The Nigerian drug enforcement agency stated that during a routine inspection, staff discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine inside a black package mixed among other cargo. Police records indicate that the ship had previously set sail from the port of Santos, Brazil, and Lagos was its first Nigerian port of call on the voyage.
The NDLEA has confiscated the crew’s mobile phones and electronic devices and completed a preliminary investigation. The investigation results show that the ship was previously mainly engaged in transporting coal on routes between Colombia and Brazil, and this was its first entry into African waters. Captain Quino Eugene Corpus is reported to have worked on the ship for less than three months.
The Federal High Court in Lagos approved an initial 14-day detention order for the ship and its crew (all Filipino nationals, including the captain) on November 20. Philippine officials stated that the crew members have been allowed to call their families on weekends, are currently in good health, and the Philippine Ambassador to Nigeria is maintaining close communication with Nigerian authorities.
The bulk carrier was moved from the berth to the Lagos anchorage on November 28. The NDLEA stated that the ship remains detained and under investigation. The Philippine government revealed that the crew members have not yet made any statements regarding the seized cocaine.
It is worth noting that Nigeria has intensified its crackdown on illegal drug trafficking in recent years. Earlier this month, Nigeria, in a joint operation with the United States and the United Kingdom, seized 1,000 kilograms of cocaine at the port of Lagos and has launched an investigation into the involved drug smuggling ring.
In May 2025, the Federal High Court in Lagos convicted 10 Thai crew members and their ship of drug smuggling charges. The ship “Chayanee Naree” was found with 32.9 kilograms of cocaine on board when it arrived in Lagos on October 13, 2021. That ship also originated from Brazil, and the crew members were fined 4.3 million Nigerian Naira, approximately $3,000 USD.
