The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is being urged to rethink its current approach to handling drug seizures aboard ships, as maritime experts argue that most shipowners are unfairly implicated in these incidents despite having no connection to the drug shipments.
This appeal was made during a presentation by Mr. Suresh Prabhakar, Director of Operations at Pacific Basin Shipping Limited, Hong Kong, at a maritime security conference jointly organized by the Maritime Security Providers Association of Nigeria (MASPAN) and the Alumni of Maritime Academy of Nigeria (AMANO), in Lagos on Thursday.
The event with the theme “Drugs &human smuggling/Trafficking: the evolving maritime security threats to ships and seafarers” had in participation, an array of maritime practitioners and security experts.
Mr Suresh in his presentation said that from February 2021 to July 2024, a troubling trend emerged in Lagos, Nigeria, as four bulk carriers laden with sugar from Santos, Brazil, became embroiled in drug-related incidents that have had far-reaching consequences for both the ship owners and the crew members.
Each of these ships was found to have significant quantities of cocaine on board, ranging from 18 to 43 kilograms, leading to prolonged detentions by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
According to him, each ship faced delays of four to six months while investigations were carried out, only to be released after the owners posted substantial bonds, ranging from $2 to $5 million.
He said that on average, 10 crew members per ship were detained, and their bail was set at $40,000 per person, allowing them to stay in a hotel instead of a detention facility. However, this bail money, totaling $400,000 for ten crew members, did little to alleviate the psychological and emotional toll of their extended detention.
He maintained that the situation has been particularly dire for crew members on two of the ships, who were detained for approximately 20 months before being released after numerous court hearings. For the remaining two ships, the crew members are still detained in Lagos, with their court cases ongoing.
Shockingly, Mr Suresh said one crew has been in detention for 34 months, while the other has endured 13 months of confinement.
“The mental and physical scars such incidents leave on crew members and their families are immense,” a maritime industry insider commented. “Careers are often destroyed, leaving many families in severe financial and emotional distress.”
“The financial burden on ship owners is also significant. Beyond the bonds and legal costs, they must cover the crew’s salaries and the upkeep of their families during these extended detentions. The impact on the industry is profound, as owners are forced to reconsider trade routes to avoid the risk of similar incidents.
“Such cases adversely impact the ability of ship owners to engage in such trades,” the insider added. “Several owners and operators are now choosing alternative trade routes.”
Suresh stated that given the significant risks of drug smuggling on board ships and the challenges faced by crews and ship owners, there are growing calls for the NDLEA to reconsider its stance.
“It would be prudent for the NDLEA to adopt similar practical measures as in the USA, Europe, and Brazil. This would prevent unnecessary delays for ships and crews when drugs are found on board, as the consequences for them are very dire”, he said
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola noted that there has been a troubling increase in maritime threats, particularly those related to drugs and human trafficking.
Represented by Mr Heaky Dimowo, a Director of Marine Environment Management at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) stated that these activities are not merely criminal acts; they erode our social fabric, destabilize communities and challenge the law enforcement at sea.
“They pose significant risk to the Maritime and Security of seafarers and vessels. Today we must confront the fact that our waters are increasingly viewed as a transit route to illicit activities.
“It is essential that we develop comprehensive strategies to address these evolving threats by leveraging technological innovations, enhancing our intelligence capabilities and fostering collaboration among critical stakeholders.
“Together, we can develop multifaceted responses that effectively combat these challenges”
In his welcome speech, President of MASPAN-AMANO, Mr Emmanuel Maiguwa described drug smuggling and human trafficking as transnational crimes that exploit both the points of origin and destination, and unfortunately, maritime transport provides the mobility needed to actualise these illicit crimes.
Maiguwa said that records from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) have shown that West Africa is a transit region for narcotics mostly emanating from South America.
“With recent incidents involving merchant ships (excluding cases of drugs concealed in cargo containers) from South America to Nigeria rising to about four within the last two years, this maritime corridor proves to be providing mobility for this illicit activity.
“On the issue of human trafficking, records from Africa Risk Compliance (ARC) show a significant number of incidents where stowaways have been discovered on ships calling Nigerian ports. Take note that these are discovered cases only.
“While we may not present specific records linking stowaways to drug smuggling operations, it is of great concern that drug traffickers could potentially collaborate with stowaway networks. This partnership could lead to a coordinated effort to use stowaways as couriers, moving drugs from West Africa to Europe” he said
Maiguwa said that both MASPAN and AMANO is in support of the fight against all forms of trafficking and smuggling, including Drugs and humans.
“We are mainly focused on addressing responses to these crimes as they occur within the maritime corridor.
“We aim to ensure that perpetrators of these crimes are apprehended and fully punished of the law without subjecting the innocent to unnecessary difficulties that are counterproductive to the growth of shipping”
“The cost burden of a stowaway incident can vary based on discovery location, the distance the ship has sailed to, the number of the stowaways, the off-hire period to offload, and many other factors. In cases where the ship has reached a foreign destination, repatriation expenses can easily cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars, depending on the time taken to process and return and the stowaways.
“Should Nigeria be fully-recognised as a destination with such difficulties in handling cases of drugs found on ships and poor port-ship access control, the shipping industry is expected to always respond to defend and protect itself with measures.
“An example is the War Risk Insurance premium, which is a response to risks such as piracy” Maiguwa said.
