Following a joint operation between the Nigeria Customs Service and operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at Apapa Port in Lagos, the anti narcotics body has released the names of 22 crew members who are Indian nationals.
In it’s weekly press release by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the agency announced that the master of the ship and twenty others have been detained.
According to Babafemi,”Those detained in connection with the discovery of the 31.5kg cocaine hidden in the ship which originated from Marshall Islands, include the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan and 21 other crew members.
Others are Bharati Manoj Kumar; Bhalerao Nilesh Mukund; Nadar Anthony Macson David; Kolusu Srinivasa Rao; Sagar Gaurav; Francis Anto Beemas Nester; Jagdeep Singh; Jai Parkash; Prabhukhan Singh; Nevage Sandesh Suresh; Pandey Prashant; Nittu Anand; Akash Babu; Dasari Raju; Reddy Nandika Sanjeeba; Rana Nivesh; Melethil Insaf Rahman; Barla Chantanya Krishna; Ghosh Arijit; Mondal Raihan; and Gangwar Shiv Om.
The Apapa Command of Nigeria Customs had earlier announced in a press release on Friday
that the cocaine were brought in 30 slabs concealed onboard the MV Aruna, a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel.
The seizure occurred on Friday, January 2, 2026; the first working day of the new year at the Greenview Terminal within Apapa Port, Lagos. The illicit substance was carefully hidden aboard the ship, underscoring the sophisticated tactics employed by smugglers attempting to exploit the nation’s busiest seaport.
Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba, Customs Area Controller for Apapa Command, commended the officers from both agencies for their vigilance and professionalism. “This achievement reflects the strong inter-agency synergy between federal government entities and our commitment to intelligence-led enforcement,” he stated. “While criminal elements seek to outsmart us, our officers remain one step ahead, ensuring no smuggling attempt, whether disguised as import, export, or transit cargo, succeeds under my watch.”
Comptroller Oshoba had described the interception as a bold statement for 2026, reaffirming the command’s zero-tolerance policy towards illicit trade. In line with established protocols, the NDLEA has taken possession of the seized cocaine for further investigation and potential prosecution of those involved.
This latest bust marks the third major drug interception by the joint NCS-NDLEA team in recent weeks. Barely two weeks ago, the agencies seized 25.5kg of cocaine hidden in five bags aboard another vessel based on intelligence.
Additionally, on 11 December 2025; 1,187kg of “Canadian Loud”, a premium and highly expensive strain of cannabis, packaged in 2,374 parcels across 55 bags and concealed within imported vehicles in a 1x40ft container.
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