馃嚦馃嚞NigeriaWest Africa
Nigerian court convicts 11 Indian sailors and vessel for cocaine trafficking, orders $5.3 million restitution
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
A Federal 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. The conviction follows the interception of the illicit drug by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA operatives on January 2, 2026, at the Apapa seaport. The cocaine was found concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship, which had arrived from the Marshall Islands. The vessel's master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 10 other crew members were arraigned on a two-count charge. Justice Joseph Aneke adopted a plea bargain agreement, convicting all 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act. Each defendant was ordered to pay a fine of N100,000. Additionally, the MV Aruna Hulya was ordered to pay restitution of $5.3 million to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The vessel's three principal officers, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman, were directed to pay $100,000 each, while the remaining crew members were ordered to pay $50,000 each as restitution. Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa retd., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, stated that the judgment serves as a strong warning to international drug trafficking syndicates and demonstrates that Nigeria will not be a transit route for illicit drugs.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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