The intercepted foreign vessel, MV San Antonio
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 stems 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, hidden within a bulk consignment of sugar.
The discovery led to the immediate detention of the vessel and the arrest of all crew members on board, including the vessel’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, as well as 20 other crew members of various nationalities serving in different operational capacities.
Following 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 resurfaced, the NDLEA informed the court that investigations were still ongoing, citing the complexity and transnational nature of the case. The agency explained that the shipment’s concealment method and emerging intelligence linking some Nigerians to the operation suggested the existence of a wider criminal syndicate, requiring more time to dismantle.
In granting the application for extension, Justice Ogazi held that it was meritorious and adjourned the matter to January 13 for a report on the progress of the investigations.
It would be recalled that the Customs Area Controller, Apapa Area Command, Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, had earlier described the seizure as a testament to the Service’s strengthened intelligence architecture 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 stated. “Customs is strengthening its synergy with all sister government agencies, and no criminal or group of lawless persons can beat us here.”
He further noted that the vessel’s travel history, which included departures from Brazil and stopovers in Honduras, Guatemala, and other known drug-trafficking routes, had raised red flags for Customs intelligence units.
This handover and ongoing prosecution of the case underscore the strength of inter-agency collaboration between the NCS and the NDLEA, as well as the Service’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding Nigeria’s borders, ports, and economy from the scourge of illicit drugs and other prohibited goods.
