Nigerian Court Convicts 11 Indian Sailors, Imposes $6 Million Fine Over Cocaine Trafficking


A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for their involvement in the trafficking of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria through the Apapa Seaport.

The conviction comes barely six months after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the vessel and discovered the illicit drug concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa, Lagos.

According to the NDLEA, the vessel arrived from the Marshall Islands and was arrested on January 2, 2026, following the discovery of the cocaine consignment.

The crew members arrested alongside the vessel included the ship's master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and ten other Indian nationals: 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.

The defendants were arraigned before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, under suit number FHC/L/56C/2026 on a two-count charge.
Delivering judgment on Thursday, June 11, the court adopted the plea bargain agreement reached between the prosecution and the defence. Consequently, all 12 defendants—the vessel and the 11 crew members—were convicted under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act.

As part of the ruling, each defendant was ordered to pay a fine of ₦100,000, the statutory penalty prescribed under the Act.

In addition, the court ordered the vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, to pay restitution of $5.3 million (or its equivalent in naira) to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The court further directed three principal officers of the vessel—Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman—to pay restitution of $100,000 each to the Federal Government.

The remaining crew members were also ordered to pay restitution of $50,000 each.
The judgment marks another significant victory for the NDLEA in its ongoing efforts to combat international drug trafficking and strengthen maritime security at Nigeria's ports. 


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