Major Drug Trafficking Conviction
Lagos Court Convicts 11 Indian Sailors for Cocaine Trafficking, Orders $5.3M Vessel Restitution
Key Points
The case was prosecuted in suit no. FHC/L/56C/2026 and decided by Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke, who delivered judgment on 11 June 2026 after months of trial and formally adopted plea-bargain terms submitted by both prosecution and defence.
NDLEA said the MV Aruna Hulya had arrived from the Marshall Islands and that operatives discovered the drugs “meticulously concealed within hatch three” at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, on the vessel’s 2 January 2026 arrival.
NDLEA’s Chairman/CEO, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), said the conviction sends a “resounding warning” and added that “Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit subst…”
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi said Justice Aneke adopted the plea-bargain agreement entered into by prosecution and defence and that the court convicted all 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act, ordering fines and restitution as contained in the judgment.
A Nigerian court convicted 11 Indian sailors and their ship on June 11, 2026, for smuggling 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Lagos. Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court ordered total financial penalties of about $6 million — including $5.3 million against the vessel itself, the MV Aruna Hulya.
The ruling came just months after NDLEA operatives found the drugs hidden inside the ship's cargo hold on January 2, 2026. Yahoo News reported that the ship had arrived from the Marshall Islands when agents discovered the cocaine "meticulously concealed within hatch three" at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa Port.
Drugs Hidden in Cargo Hold Trigger Swift Arrests
The MV Aruna Hulya docked at Apapa Port on January 2, 2026. NDLEA agents searched the vessel and found 31.5 kilograms of cocaine packed inside Hatch 3. Authorities detained 22 Indian crew members within days. The ship's master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, was named the primary suspect.
Prosecutors narrowed the case to 11 sailors plus the vessel itself — a total of 12 defendants. The trial moved quickly. By June 11, both prosecution and defense submitted a plea bargain agreement to the court. Justice Aneke adopted the terms the same day and delivered the final verdict, Yahoo News reported.
$6 Million in Fines and Restitution Broken Down
The court convicted all 12 defendants under Section 25 of Nigeria's NDLEA Act, which covers unlawful drug importation. Each defendant received a statutory fine of ₦100,000. On top of that, the court ordered dollar-denominated restitution based on each person's role aboard the ship.
The vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, faces the largest bill — $5.3 million. Ship master Bhushan and two principal officers, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad and Melethil Insaf Rahman, must each pay $100,000. The remaining eight crew members owe $50,000 each. The total financial liability comes to roughly $6 million, according to Yahoo News.
NDLEA Calls Verdict a Warning to Global Drug Syndicates
NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa called the ruling a "resounding warning" to traffickers. He said "Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance." Marwa noted this was the third major conviction of its kind involving a foreign vessel in recent times, Yahoo News reported.
NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi confirmed that the plea bargain allowed the government to secure massive financial restitution without a lengthy multi-year trial. The entire case — from arrest to conviction — took just over five months. Legal observers noted the speed as a sign of improved judicial efficiency in Nigerian drug cases.
Ship Owners Face Pressure to Tighten Security Aboard Vessels
The $5.3 million penalty against the ship — not just its crew — is a deliberate legal strategy. By targeting the vessel itself, Nigerian courts put pressure on ship owners to enforce stricter security checks before and during port calls. If the restitution is not paid, the MV Aruna Hulya could face a court-ordered auction.
The Marshall Islands, where the vessel originated, is a common flag-of-convenience jurisdiction. Investigators noted that such registrations are often used to obscure the true ownership of ships. The conviction of 11 Indian nationals may also prompt talks between Nigeria and India over the sailors' welfare, though the plea bargain signals an admission of guilt that limits diplomatic options.
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