A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the continued detention of the foreign merchant vessel MV San Antonio and its 21 crew members.
The ruling, delivered by Justice Friday Nkemakonam Ogazi extended the detention for an additional 14 days.
This allows the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to deepen its investigation into a high-profile smuggling operation involving 25.5 kilograms of cocaine discovered at the Apapa Port.
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The saga began on December 6, 2025, when the MV San Antonio berthed in Lagos after a voyage from Brazil.
Acting on a sharp intelligence profile, officers from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, conducted a meticulous search of the vessel.
Hidden deep within a bulk consignment of sugar, officers unearthed 24 tightly packed parcels of cocaine, stashed inside five bags and total weight confirmed at 25.5 kilograms.
The discovery led to the immediate arrest of the vessel’s master, Trofymov Oleksandr, and 20 other multinational crew members from Russia, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan.
The NDLEA, represented by Barrister Kunle Adebajo, informed the court that the case has grown in complexity.
Emerging intelligence suggests that the international drug network may have established links with local Nigerian collaborators, necessitating a more comprehensive dismantling of the syndicate.
“Absolute trust is built over time through making the right decisions,” Justice Ogazi noted, granting the extension to ensure that investigators can follow every lead across borders.
The matter has been adjourned to January 13, 2026, for a progress report.
Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, the Customs Area Controller for Apapa Command, hailed the operation as a victory for inter-agency cooperation.
He noted that the vessel’s travel history—which included stopovers in Honduras and Guatemala—had raised immediate “red flags” for the NCS intelligence architecture.
The intercepted vessel was identified as MV San Antonio, from which 25.5 kilograms of cocaine were seized, leading to the arrest of 21 suspects of various nationalities.
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The suspects are scheduled to appear in court on 13 January 2026.
Reacting to the development, Oshoba issued a warning, declaring that no criminal or group of lawless persons would be allowed to outsmart security agencies, as efforts to strengthen inter-agency synergy would continue and national security would never be sacrificed in the name of trade facilitation.
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