Lagos: Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Sunday said it has arrested 22 Indian crew members of a merchant vessel after seizing 31.5 kg of cocaine at Lagos’ main seaport, in a major blow to international drug trafficking networks.

The seizure was made on January 2 aboard MV Aruna Hulya, a merchant ship that originated from the Marshall Islands, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in an official statement. The narcotics were recovered during a search of the vessel at the port, he added.

Nigeria has long been identified as a key transit hub for cocaine and other illicit drugs destined for Europe and parts of Africa, with traffickers increasingly using commercial shipping routes to smuggle narcotics.

In November, the NDLEA arrested 20 Filipino sailors who were allegedly transporting at least 20 kilogrammes of cocaine from Brazil to the same Lagos port. Earlier that month, the agency said it was working closely with the United States and the United Kingdom anti-drug authorities to probe an international cartel linked to the seizure of 1,000 kilogrammes of cocaine hidden in a container at a Lagos port.

The latest arrest underscores Nigeria’s intensified crackdown on maritime drug trafficking, as authorities tighten surveillance at ports and strengthen cooperation with international law enforcement agencies.

AFP