Key facts
- Eleven Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, have been convicted of cocaine trafficking in Nigeria.
- The vessel was fined $5.3 million in restitution to the Nigerian government.
- The sailors were arrested for allegedly importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine from the Marshall Islands.
- Three principal officers must pay $100,000 each, and other crew members $50,000 each in restitution.
- Each defendant also received a 100,000 Naira fine.
A Nigerian court has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for trafficking 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into the country. The conviction follows their arrest by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) approximately six months prior, after the illicit substance was discovered concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa Port, Lagos.
The vessel had arrived from the Marshall Islands when NDLEA operatives intercepted the cocaine on January 2, 2026. Justice Joseph Aneke of the Federal High Court adopted a plea bargain agreement, convicting all 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act.
As part of the judgment, the court ordered MV Aruna Hulya to pay $5.3 million in restitution to the Nigerian government. Additionally, the vessel's master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, along with two other principal officers, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad and Melethil Insaf Rahman, were each ordered to pay $100,000 in restitution. The remaining crew members were each fined $50,000 in restitution, and all defendants received a 100,000 Naira fine.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) stated that the conviction sends a strong message to drug trafficking networks, emphasizing that Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for illicit substances. He highlighted the agency's vigilance at ports of entry and affirmed that Nigeria would continue to enforce its laws against drug traffickers, regardless of nationality.