Nigerian authorities announced Thursday that a federal court has imposed $6 million in fines against 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel following a cocaine trafficking conviction, according to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The Federal High Court in Lagos delivered guilty verdicts for the crew of the merchant ship MV Aruna Hulya after law enforcement officials uncovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden on the vessel at Apapa port during the early months of this year.
This conviction represents part of Nigeria’s expanded efforts to combat drug smuggling through major commercial ports like Lagos.
Nigerian officials have been strengthening their fight against international drug trafficking operations, which frequently utilize the nation as a pathway for moving illegal drugs to European destinations and other international markets.
The sailors, led by captain Sharma Shashi Bhushan along with 10 additional Indian citizens, were taken into custody on January 2 following the discovery of narcotics concealed within a ship storage area by drug enforcement operatives.
The court’s decision found all 12 defendants guilty under Nigerian drug laws, including the vessel itself as a defendant. A drug enforcement agency representative explained that the defendants had accepted the conviction terms, which were then submitted to the judge for official court approval.
Individual crew members received orders to pay 100,000 naira in fines, while the ship faces a $5.3 million restitution payment to Nigeria’s government. Ship owners bear responsibility for these penalties, with vessel auction as the consequence for non-payment.
Three senior ship officers also received $100,000 fines each, while other crew members must pay $50,000 individually, creating approximately $6 million in combined financial penalties.
NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa stated the court’s decision delivers a clear message to international drug smuggling operations.
