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A High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for trafficking 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria, imposing fines totalling six million US dollars.
The ruling, delivered on Thursday, marks a significant enforcement action against international drug smuggling through Nigerian ports.
The cocaine was discovered in hatch 3 of the vessel at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on January 2, 2026. Following the seizure, the crew, including the Master of the Vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and ten other sailors, were arraigned on two-count charges under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.
Under the plea bargain terms agreed by prosecution and defence, each of the 12 defendants was sentenced to pay 100,000 Naira, the statutory penalty under the Act. In addition, the vessel itself must pay restitution of 5.3 million US dollars to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The three principal officers, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman, were ordered to pay 100,000 US dollars each, while the remaining crew members must each pay 50,000 US dollars.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the conviction demonstrates Nigeria’s strengthened stance against international drug trafficking.
“Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance,” he declared, describing the ruling as part of “deliberate, intelligence-led operations by our officers who remain vigilant at every port of entry.”
Marwa stressed that enforcement would continue across all entry points, whether by air, land, or sea, targeting both Nigerian and foreign nationals attempting to exploit the country as a narcotics route.
“Our courts have spoken, and we will continue to give them reason to speak. The war against drug trafficking is one we are winning and we intend to keep it that way,” he added.
The NDLEA chief also commended the officers at the Apapa Strategic Command for identifying the hidden cocaine consignment and praised the Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their diligence in securing the conviction.
