Lagos, June 11, 2026,The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday convicted 11 Indian sailors and their vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, over the importation of 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport.
The conviction followed a plea bargain agreement entered into by the defendants and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke, who delivered the judgment, convicted the vessel and the 11 crew members under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act.
The NDLEA had arrested the Indian crew members and the merchant vessel on Jan. 2, 2026, after operatives discovered 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.
The defendants included the vessel’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 10 other crew members.
The court ordered each of the 12 defendants to pay a fine of N100,000, being the statutory penalty prescribed under the Act.
In addition, the vessel, listed as the first defendant, was ordered to pay restitution of 5.3 million dollars to the Federal Republic of Nigeria or its equivalent in naira.
The court also directed three principal officers of the vessel, namely Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad and Melethil Insaf Rahman, to pay restitution of 100,000 dollars each.
The remaining crew members were ordered to pay restitution of 50,000 dollars each.
Reacting to the judgment, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, described the conviction as a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates.
Marwa said the judgment underscored Nigeria’s resolve to prevent its territory, ports and waterways from being used as transit routes for illicit drugs.
“This judgment is the third of its kind in recent times involving foreign nationals and vessels on similar charges.
“These outcomes are the result of deliberate, intelligence-driven operations by our officers who remain vigilant at all entry points into the country,” he said.
Marwa reiterated the agency’s commitment to combating drug trafficking through sustained enforcement operations.
According to him, anyone attempting to use Nigeria’s air, land or maritime routes for narcotics trafficking will face the full weight of the law.
He commended officers of the NDLEA Apapa Strategic Command for detecting the illicit consignment and praised the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for successfully handling the case.
