LAGOS, Nigeria — Twenty Filipino sailors are now in custody after Nigeria’s drug enforcement agency intercepted a shipment of high-grade cocaine allegedly smuggled from Brazil to Lagos.
According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), officers discovered at least 20 kilograms of cocaine hidden deep beneath the cargo of a Panama-registered vessel on Sunday.
The ship, which normally transports coal between Brazil and Colombia, became the focus of an intense operation after authorities received intelligence about possible drug movement.
When officers searched the vessel, they found the stash buried under layers of cargo—a discovery that immediately raised concerns about a larger, more sophisticated trafficking network.
Nigeria has long been viewed as a major transit hub for illegal drugs moving toward Europe and parts of Africa.
The NDLEA said the entire Filipino crew was detained for questioning as investigators work to determine who among them may have been involved, and whether the operation was linked to a wider drug syndicate.
This is not the first major drug interception in Lagos this month.
Authorities recently revealed they were coordinating with US and British anti-drug agencies to trace the cartel responsible for 1,000 kilograms of cocaine found inside a shipping container at another Lagos port.
Meanwhile, global anti-drug operations continue to intensify.
US President Donald Trump recently expanded American military presence in the Caribbean, saying the move was meant to target drug traffickers operating out of Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Mexico.
For now, the 20 Filipino sailors remain under investigation in Nigeria—caught in a case that spans continents, cartels, and an ever-growing international war on drugs.
