Court convicts 11 Indian sailors, vessel over cocaine importation, imposes $6m fine

The Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for importing 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport.

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The court also imposed fines and restitution totalling nearly $6 million.

The judgement followed a plea bargain agreement between the prosecution and the defence.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in a statement on Thursday by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, explained that the vessel and its crew were arrested on 2 January 2026 after operatives discovered 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa, Lagos.

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The convicted crew members are the ship’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan; Bharati Manoj Kumar, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nuttu Anand, Akash Babu, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, Melethil Insaf Rahman Barla Chantanya Krishna, Prabhasukhan Singu and Jai Parkash.

They were arraigned before trial judge Joseph Aneke in case marked FHC/L/56C/2026.

Delivering judgement on Thursday, Mr Aneke convicted the 11 crew members and the vessel on charges brought under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act.

The court ordered each of the convicted sailors to pay a statutory fine of N100,000.

It also directed the vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, to pay restitution of $5.3 million, or its naira equivalent, to the Nigerian government.

In addition, three principal officers of the vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad and Melethil Insaf Rahman, were ordered to pay $100,000 each as restitution.

The remaining crew members were directed to pay $50,000 each to the Federal Government.

The conviction comes amid efforts by Nigerian authorities to prevent the country’s seaports from being used as transit routes by international drug trafficking syndicates.

In recent years, security agencies have intercepted several shipments of cocaine and other illicit drugs concealed in cargoes arriving through maritime channels, highlighting the growing challenge posed by transnational criminal networks.

The latest judgement also adds to a series of recent prosecutions involving foreign nationals and merchant vessels accused of drug trafficking. The cases reflect the NDLEA’s increasing reliance on intelligence-led operations and inter-agency collaboration to disrupt organised narcotics networks operating through Nigeria’s ports and borders.

Nigeria’s strategic position as one of West Africa’s busiest commercial gateways has strengthened its role in regional trade but has also made its ports attractive to international trafficking syndicates.

In response, security agencies have stepped up surveillance and cargo inspections at seaports, airports and land borders in an effort to curb the illicit movement of narcotics.

Reacting to the judgement, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Marwa, described the conviction as a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates seeking to use Nigeria as a transit route.

“The judgement sends a resounding message to every drug trafficking network in the world that Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance,” Mr Marwa, who is a retired brigadier general, stated.

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He noted that the ruling marked the third recent conviction involving foreign nationals and merchant vessels linked to drug trafficking, attributing the outcome to intelligence-driven operations by the agency.

“Whether you come by air, land or sea; whether you are a Nigerian or a foreign national, if you attempt to use our waters as a narcotics highway, you will face the full weight of Nigerian law,” he said.

Mr Marwa also commended officers of the NDLEA’s Apapa Strategic Command for uncovering the cocaine hidden within the vessel’s cargo. He praised the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for successfully prosecuting the case.