Nigeria Hits Drug Cartels Hard: Court Fines Vessel, Filipino Sailors $6m Over Cocaine Smuggling

​Lagos, Nigeria – In a decisive blow to international drug trafficking syndicates, a Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 10 Filipino sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, for importing 20 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria.

​Justice Ayokunle Faji delivered the landmark judgment on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, following a plea bargain agreement. The court ordered the vessel and its crew to pay a combined total of $6 million (USD) in restitution and N1.1 million in penalties to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

​The conviction follows a high-stakes operation on November 16, 2025, when operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the Panama-flagged ship at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Seaport. The Class A drugs, shipped from Santos, Brazil, were discovered “buried deep” within the vessel’s massive commodity cargo.

​The Verdict breakdown:

• ​The Vessel (MV Nord Bosporus): Fined N100,000 for the offence and ordered to pay $5.35 million in restitution.
• ​Principal Officers (2nd, 3rd, and 4th Defendants): Each sentenced to pay N100,000 fine and $100,000 restitution.
• ​Other Crew Members (5th to 11th Defendants): Each fined N100,000 and $50,000 restitution.

​The convicted sailors include Eugene Quinos Corpuz (Master of the vessel), Mark Joseph Jardiniano, Alexis Navidad Evarrola, Francis Gerard Niones Carpio, Franz Jude Mayran, Mahinay Junniel Lagura, Mario Ganiban Malvar, Hormachuelos Lordito Guivencan, Joshua Emmanuel Hufanda, and Edwin Baltazar Reyes.

​A “Resounding Victory”

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Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), described the outcome as a “nightmare for every drug baron.” He noted that the agency has evolved its strategy to target the financial “pockets” and operational assets of syndicates.

​”This is an unambiguous signal to every shipping line, vessel owner, and sailor worldwide,” Marwa stated. “If you turn your ships into floating warehouses for illicit drugs, you will not only lose your freedom but also your assets.”

​Marwa further commended the Apapa Strategic Command and the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services, led by Theresa Asuquo, for their diligence. He highlighted that the “back-to-back” strategy—which recently saw a similar conviction of the vessel MV Chayanee Naree—is effectively dismantling the drug supply chain in Nigeria.

​The prosecution noted that the ship, which primarily transported coal between Colombia and Brazil, was making its first-ever call to an African port when it was intercepted.