A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, over the trafficking of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria, imposing fines and restitution totaling about $6 million.
The conviction comes barely six months after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the illicit consignment aboard the vessel at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos.
The ship and its crew were arrested on January 2, 2026, after NDLEA officers discovered 31.5kg of cocaine concealed in Hatch 3 of the vessel, which had arrived from the Marshall Islands.
The defendants included the vessel’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 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 on a two-count charge before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, June 11, 2026, the court adopted a plea bargain agreement entered into by the prosecution and defence. All 12 defendants were convicted under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and ordered to pay a fine of N100,000 each.
In addition, the vessel, listed as the first defendant, was directed to pay restitution of $5.3 million to the Federal Government.
The court also ordered three principal officers of the vessel—Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman—to pay $100,000 each as restitution, while the remaining crew members were directed to pay $50,000 each.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the ruling as a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates.
“This judgment is the third of its kind in recent times, following the convictions of foreign nationals and vessels on similar charges. Let it be known that these are not coincidences; they are the direct result of deliberate, intelligence-led operations by our officers who remain vigilant at every port of entry,” Marwa said.
He stressed that Nigeria would no longer serve as a transit route for narcotics, warning traffickers that they would face the full weight of the law regardless of nationality or route of entry.
“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 stated.
Marwa commended officers of the NDLEA Apapa Strategic Command for uncovering the concealed cocaine shipment and praised the Agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for successfully prosecuting the case.
The conviction marked another significant milestone in Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to combat international drug trafficking and strengthen maritime security.
