Nigeria arrests 22 Indian crew members: 31.5kg of cocaine found on merchant ship; vessel originated from Marshall Islands

NEW DELHI: Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said on Sunday that 22 Indian crew members of a merchant ship were arrested after 31.5 kilograms of cocaine were discovered aboard the vessel at Lagos’s main port.The seizure took place on Friday aboard the MV Aruna Hulya, which “originated from Marshall Islands,” NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said in a statement.Nigeria has long been considered a trafficking and production hub for drugs, with narcotics often destined for Europe and other African countries.The NDLEA highlighted previous operations at Lagos port, noting that in November, 20 Filipino sailors were arrested while carrying at least 20 kilograms of cocaine from Brazil.Earlier that month, the agency said it was working with US and British anti-drug agencies to investigate a cartel linked to the importation of 1,000 kilograms of cocaine discovered in a container at the port.This is a developing story...