Nigeria’s drug enforcement agency said on Sunday that it has arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were discovered onboard at Lagos’s main seaport.
The seizure was made on January 2 aboard the vessel MV Aruna Hulya, which originated from the Marshall Islands, according to Femi Babafemi, spokesperson for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
In a statement, the NDLEA said the cocaine was found concealed on the ship during a routine inspection at the port. All 22 crew members, who are Indian nationals, were taken into custody for further investigation to determine their level of involvement in the trafficking operation.
Nigeria has long been regarded as a major drug trafficking and production hub, with narcotics frequently transiting through the country en route to Europe and other African nations. Authorities have intensified surveillance at ports and airports in recent years amid rising drug seizures.
The arrest comes just weeks after the NDLEA, in November, detained 20 Filipino sailors who were allegedly attempting to ferry at least 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil to the same Lagos port.
Earlier in November, the agency also revealed it was working in coordination with US and British anti-narcotics agencies to investigate an international cartel linked to the seizure of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine discovered inside a shipping container at a Lagos port.
NDLEA officials said investigations are ongoing to trace the origin of the drugs, identify the network behind the shipment, and establish whether the arrested crew members were knowingly involved in the smuggling operation.