Court Orders Continued Detention of Brazilian Vessel as Customs–NDLEA Drug Trafficking Case Deepens

Lagos, January 2026

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance against narcotics trafficking as a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos ordered the continued detention of a foreign vessel, MV San Antonio, and its 21 crew members over their alleged involvement in a major cocaine smuggling operation uncovered at Apapa Port.

Justice Friday Nkemakonam Ogazi, in a ruling delivered following an application by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), granted an extension of the detention of the vessel and its crew for an additional 14 days to allow investigators conclude ongoing inquiries into the international drug trafficking network.
The case arose from an intelligence-driven interception carried out by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, shortly after the vessel berthed from Brazil on 6 December 2025. During a detailed examination of the ship, Customs officers discovered 25.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed in 24 parcels packed into five bags and hidden within a bulk consignment of sugar.
Following the discovery, the vessel was immediately detained and all crew members on board were arrested. Those held include the vessel’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, alongside 20 other crew members of various nationalities serving in different operational capacities.

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

Justice Ogazi had earlier, on 12 December 2025, granted an ex parte application filed by NDLEA counsel, Barrister Kunle Adebajo, authorising the initial detention of the vessel and its crew. When the matter came up again in court, the NDLEA informed the judge that investigations were still ongoing, citing the complexity and transnational nature of the case.
The agency explained that the sophisticated concealment method used for the drugs, as well as emerging intelligence linking some Nigerians to the operation, pointed to the existence of a wider criminal syndicate, thereby necessitating additional time to dismantle the network.

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

Reacting earlier to the seizure, the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, described the interception as a testament to the Service’s strengthened intelligence framework and effective collaboration with sister agencies.

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

He added that the vessel’s travel history — which included departures from Brazil and stopovers in Honduras, Guatemala, and other routes known for drug trafficking — had raised red flags for Customs intelligence units.

The ongoing prosecution and inter-agency cooperation in the case underscore the resolve of the Nigeria Customs Service and the NDLEA to safeguard Nigeria’s ports, borders, and economy from the menace of illicit drugs and other prohibited goods.