APAPA CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS 25.5KG OF COCAINE ABOARD BRAZILIAN VESSEL, DETAIN SHIP
APAPA CUSTOMS INTERCEPTS 25.5KG OF COCAINE ABOARD BRAZILIAN VESSEL, DETAIN SHIP
By Frank Odinukaeze
The Apapa Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted 25.5 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed aboard a Brazilian vessel, MV San Anthonio, following an intelligence-driven operation conducted by customs operatives.
The illicit substance, neatly packaged in 24 parcels and hidden inside five bags, was discovered during a coordinated search on the vessel, which has now been detained pending further investigation.
Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Customs Area Controller of the Apapa Port Command, described the breakthrough as another product of the sustained collaboration between the NCS and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). He explained that customs profiling revealed that after leaving Brazil, the vessel made stops at Honduras, Guatemala, and other ports known as hotspots for narcotics trafficking.
“Our intelligence showed clearly that the vessel’s movement pattern raised suspicion. What you are seeing today is the outcome of profiling and intelligence-led operations jointly executed by the NCS and NDLEA,” Oshoba said.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Customs Service to ensuring that only legitimate trade passes through the nation’s premier port, noting that Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, has issued a zero-tolerance directive against any compromise that undermines national security.
Oshoba added that the seizure should serve as a stern warning to drug cartels and other criminal networks exploiting maritime routes.
“As we approach the Yuletide season, we will not sacrifice national security and the economy on the altar of trade facilitation. Every consignment exiting this port must undergo full examination to confirm its true contents,” he stated.
During a brief handover of the narcotics at the port, CN Haliru Umar, Commander of the NDLEA Apapa Strategic Command, received the seized cocaine on behalf of the agency for further investigation and prosecution.
The detention of the MV San Anthonio and the joint operation underscore the heightened vigilance of maritime security agencies ahead of the festive period.
