Shipping Companies Slam Lengthy Drug Investigation Process
Shipping Companies Slam Lengthy Drug Investigation Process
Foreign shipping companies criticize Nigeria for taking too long to investigate and prosecute ships and crew arrested for drug and human trafficking. These delays, they argue, are driving vessels away from Nigerian ports.
To address this, they urge the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to change its approach to handling drug seizures on ships. They recommend adopting more practical measures, like those used in the USA, Europe, and Brazil, to avoid unnecessary delays when drugs are found on board.
These concerns were part of a communique from a recent one-day conference in Lagos. The Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (AMANO) co-organized the event.
The conference, themed “Drugs & Human Smuggling/Trafficking: The Evolving Maritime Security Threats to Ships and Seafarers,” drew participants from government agencies, policy makers, ship owners, security experts, and law enforcement agencies.
Participants noted that ship owners and importers are facing huge financial losses due to drug and human trafficking at seaports. They emphasized the high costs that importers and shipping operators bear because of prolonged investigations in countries with weak legal systems.
During the event, Suresh Prabhakar, Director of Operations at Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, Hong Kong, shared troubling details. Between February 2021 and July 2024, authorities found four bulk carriers transporting sugar from Santos, Brazil to Nigeria involved in drug-related incidents.These incidents had severe consequences for both ship owners and crew members.
Suspected Drug Vessels
Capt. Prabhakar explained that authorities found 18 to 43 kilograms of cocaine on each ship. The NDLEA detained the ships for four to six months while investigating. Only after the owners posted bonds ranging from $2 to $5 million were the ships released.
He also mentioned that, on average, authorities detained ten crew members per ship and set bail at $40,000 per person.. Even though the crew stayed in a hotel instead of a detention facility, the total bail of $400,000 for ten crew members did little to ease their psychological and emotional suffering.
The situation worsened for crew members on two of the ships, who remained detained for about 20 months before their release after several court hearings. Meanwhile, the crew of the other two ships remains detained in Lagos, with ongoing court cases.
Suresh revealed that one crew member has endured 34 months of detention, while another has spent 13 months in confinement. Shipping Companies Slam Lengthy Drug Investigation Process
He called the situation in Nigeria “troubling” and highlighted the severe mental and physical impact on crew members and their families.
“Destroyed careers often cause severe financial and emotional hardship for many families,” Prabhakar stated.
He stressed the heavy financial burden on ship owners, who must cover legal fees, post bonds, pay crew salaries, and support their families during extended detentions. This situation forces ship owners to rethink trade routes to avoid similar risks, ultimately affecting the industry’s operations in these waters.
