Nigerian Court Fines Indian Sailors, Vessel $6 Million Over Cocaine Smuggling

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for trafficking cocaine into Nigeria, imposing financial penalties amounting to approximately six million dollars.
The judgment followed the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine concealed aboard the vessel at the Apapa Port earlier this year, in what authorities described as another significant breakthrough in the country’s campaign against international drug trafficking.
The convicted crew members, led by the ship’s captain, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 10 other Indian nationals, were arrested on January 2 after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) uncovered the illicit consignment hidden inside one of the ship’s storage compartments.
In its ruling, the court found all 12 defendants guilty under Nigeria’s anti-narcotics laws, including the vessel itself, which was prosecuted as an instrument used in the commission of the crime.
Under the terms of the judgment, each of the crew members was ordered to pay a fine of N100,000. The court further directed that the vessel pay restitution of 5.3 million dollars to the Nigerian government, with the ship owners bearing responsibility for the payment. Failure to comply with the order could result in the forfeiture and auction of the vessel.
Three senior officers aboard the ship were additionally fined 100,000 dollars each, while the remaining crew members were ordered to pay 50,000 dollars apiece, bringing the total sanctions imposed in the case to about six million dollars.
The conviction is regarded as one of the most significant anti-drug rulings in recent times and underscores Nigeria’s intensified efforts to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating through its major commercial gateways.
Nigeria has continued to strengthen surveillance and enforcement at strategic ports and border points as criminal syndicates increasingly exploit the country as a transit hub for narcotics destined for Europe and other international markets.
The latest judgment is expected to serve as a strong deterrent to international drug traffickers seeking to use Nigerian territory and maritime facilities for illicit activities