Court fines 11 Indian sailors, vessel $6m for importing cocaine into Nigeria

…Nigeria no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance, Marwa warns drug cartels

By Ayorinde Oluokun

Eleven Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, who were arrested by operatives of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria were convicted and fined a total of Six Million US Dollars ($6million) by a Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday.

The Indian crew members and their merchant vessel were arrested at the GDNL terminal, Apapa port Lagos on Friday 2nd January 2026 following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine in hatch 3 of their ship by NDLEA operatives

They had arrived at Apapa Port from from Marshall Islands with the Master of the Vessel identified as Sharma Shashi Bhushan.

The other crew members were identified as: 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 were subsequently arraigned on two counts charge before Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

However, they filed a plea bargain which the prosecution and defence counsel agreed to.

The plea bargain formed the basis of the judgment delivered on the suit by Justice Aneke on Thursday, according to Femi Babafemi, Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Aneke convicted all the 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and sentenced them to pay the sum of 100,000 Naira each as the penalty for the offence under the Act.

⁠In addition, the Judge ordered 1st defendant, which is the vessel, to pay restitution in the sum of $5,300,000 or its equivalent in Naira to the Nigerian government.

Also, the three principal officers of the vessel who are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants, namely: Sharma Shashi Bhushan; Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad; and Melethil Insaf Rahman are also to pay restitution to the Nigerian government in the sum of 100,000 US dollars each.

The other crew members, the 5th to 12th defendants are to pay their restitution in the sum of 50, 000 US dollars each.

Babafemi quoted the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) as noting that the conviction of the vessel and its crew members sends a resounding message to every drug trafficking network in the world that “Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance.”

Marwa said, “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.

“The NDLEA will not relent. 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. 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.”

The NDLEA boss commended the officers, men and women of the Apapa Strategic Command of the Agency for their vigilance in identifying the cocaine consignment buried deep within the cargo of a massive commodity vessel.

He specifically expressed appreciation to the Agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for their diligence in the prosecution of the case.