NDLEA’s Aggressive Drug War Leaves Ship Owners Counting Huge Loss

Ship owners have lamented the huge financial losses they have incurred in securing the release of vessels and crews seized on drug charges in Nigerian waters.
To this end, they called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to rethink its approach to drug detection on board vessels, stressing that in most drug offenses, shipowners have no role in the importation of drugs.

This was discussed in a paper delivered by Mr. Suresh Prabhakar, Director, Operations, Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, Hong Kong, at the Maritime Security Conference organized by the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and the Maritime Academy Alumni Association of Nigeria (AMANO) held in Lagos on Thursday.
The event, themed “Drugs & Human Smuggling/Trafficking: The Evolving Maritime Security Threats to Ships and Seafarers”, was attended by a large number of maritime stakeholders and security experts.

During his presentation, Suresh said a disturbing trend emerged in Lagos, Nigeria, between February 2021 and July 2024, when four bulk carriers loaded with sugar from Santos, Brazil, were embroiled in drug-related incidents, with far-reaching consequences for both ships, both for their owners and for their crews. He said large quantities of cocaine, ranging from 18 to 43 kilograms, were found on each vessel, resulting in their long-term detention by the NDLEA.
He said each vessel was held for four to six months pending investigation, but was only released after their owners posted huge deposits ranging from $2 million to $5 million.
He said an average of 10 crew members per vessel were being held, with bail set at $40,000 each, and recommended that they be allowed to stay in hotels rather than in jail.