Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Grande-Nigeria

On November 7, Belgian customs made a notable seizure at the Port of Antwerp, uncovering a staggering 381 kg of cocaine hidden within a container marked ACLU-278926-3. This container, which had been shipped from Montevideo, was loaded with rice and was already under scrutiny due to prior investigations involving the vessel 'Grande Nigeria.' The customs officials conducted a non-intrusive, risk-based inspection of the container, which had previously passed through a scanner on September 30. At that time, no irregularities or suspicious markings were noted, and the shipment aligned with its declared contents, with all documentation appearing valid. However, a critical four-day window occurred between the scanning and the ship's departure, during which inspections were limited only to vehicles—both new and used—on October 3. These vehicles left the 'Grande Nigeria' the following day, October 4. Understanding this timeline is essential for piecing together the operating methods of drug traffickers using the route. The 'Grande Nigeria' primarily operates between South America and Northern Europe and has been the focus of multiple judicial investigations over the years due to previous significant cocaine discoveries onboard. The choice of legally exported products—like rice, which presents fewer regulations concerning preservation and hygiene—provides an avenue for smugglers to conceal their illicit cargo. Furthermore, only a minimal percentage of total container traffic is subjected to scanning at port locations, a factor that continues to benefit drug trafficking operations. The vessel’s route typically includes stops at several key ports: Zárate, Santos, Paranaguá, Rio de Janeiro, Tenerife, and Hamburg, all of which have raised the alarm for anti-drug agencies based on past cases linking the ship with cocaine smuggling. Intriguingly, few were aware that, right after its departure from Montevideo on October 4, the vessel was transporting a cargo loaded with 381 kg of cocaine. Investigators are left questioning whether the drugs were loaded while at the port or potentially at sea, as speculated by First Shift Narcotics Prosecutor, Angelita Romano, who has taken over from Mónica Ferrero in this case. The prevalent drop-on/drop-off technique, where speedboats are used to transfer drugs to vessels at anchor, has been linked in recent years to various drug trafficking syndicates, including those associated with Balkan criminals, Sebastián Marset, the Albín family from Cerro Norte, and members of Brazil’s PCC. The National Customs Directorate provides clarity on the 'rip-on/rip-off' method utilized to compromise the legal cargo, wherein criminal organizations enlist ship crew and port workers, such as crane operators and stevedores, to gain access to restricted areas. Following the seizure, the 'Grande Nigeria' set off again from Antwerp on November 8, continuing its journey towards Hamburg, where it arrived on November 10.

In a significant drug enforcement operation, authorities in the port of Antwerp intercepted a container carrying a staggering 500 kilos of cocaine. This shipment had previously undergone scanning procedures at the port of Montevideo. The vessel responsible for transporting this illicit cargo, the 'Grande Nigeria,' was docked in Montevideo from February 16 to 19, 2025, after making several stops at other ports before its arrival in Antwerp, where the drugs were ultimately discovered. Investigators from the Attorney General's Office are exploring the possibility that the container was tampered with at ports along its route, particularly since evidence indicates that the seals on the container had been breached. Scans conducted in Montevideo confirmed that the cocaine was not present when the container left the port. Furthermore, Argentine Customs revealed that the seal used when the container departed from Montevideo did not match the one that arrived in Antwerp; however, it remained intact during the ship’s stop in Zárate. In a surprising twist, three additional seals were discovered inside the container concealed within a plastic bag, one of which had been reported missing by the MSC shipping company in 2023. Given the 'Grande Nigeria's' previous connections to drug trafficking activities, authorities are not dismissing the possibility of crew involvement in this latest illegal endeavor.

On February 11, 2022, a significant drug seizure took place when more than 200 kilograms of narcotics were uncovered within two vehicles aboard the cargo vessel 'Grande Nigeria'. The ship, which had recently docked in Montevideo from Paranagua, was engaged in transporting a variety of containers and vehicles. Following its arrival at the Montevideo port, a thorough inspection initiated by the National Customs Directorate and the Navy revealed the concealed drug shipment. Key officials at the scene included Montevideo Narcotics Attorney Mónica Ferrero, Minister of National Defense Javier García, and National Naval Prefect Rear Admiral José Luis Elizondo, marking a notable collaboration among agencies in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking.

In a significant drug enforcement operation, authorities unearthed 120 kilograms of cocaine concealed within the ventilation system of the Grimaldi Lines vessel, 'Grande Nigeria', on January 28, 2020. This illicit shipment was revealed during a thorough investigation conducted by the Mixed Container and Vessel Control Unit (Umcc) at the Dakar Autonomous Port, in collaboration with the Scientific Police and the Central Office for the Suppression of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics (Ocrtis). The search led to the discovery of four bags of cocaine hidden in compartments of the ship's ventilation system. Notably, the packaging and identifiers on these newly confiscated narcotics differed from those involved in prior seizures documented in 2019, indicating potential new sources of trafficking. As part of the ongoing probe, customs officers had been alerted about potential drug contraband by a reliable informant. The vessel had previously docked at Dakar on January 24 after its journey from Brazil, marking another chapter in its troubled history. 'Grande Nigeria' has previously been implicated in two notable drug trafficking incidents: one in June 2019 in Dakar and another in Santos back in 2018. Crew members are currently being interrogated as investigators work closely with the Prosecutor's office to unravel the network behind this significant drug smuggling operation.