Court Convicts 11 Indian Sailors, Vessel Over Cocaine Smuggling

A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine into Nigeria through the Apapa Seaport.

The court imposed fines and restitution totaling about $6 million following a plea bargain agreement reached between the defendants and the prosecution.

According to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the cocaine consignment was discovered concealed in Hatch Three of the vessel during an operation at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa on January 2, 2026.

The agency said the vessel’s master and 10 other crew members were subsequently arrested and charged before the court over the illicit shipment.

In its judgment, the court ordered the vessel to pay $5.3 million in restitution to the Federal Government. The principal officers and other crew members were also directed to make separate restitution payments, in addition to fines imposed under the provisions of the NDLEA Act.

Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA Chairman, Mohammed Buba Marwa, described the conviction as a strong warning to drug trafficking syndicates operating across international borders.

He said the judgment reinforces Nigeria’s resolve to combat narcotics trafficking and demonstrates that the country will not serve as a transit route for cocaine and other illicit substances.

Marwa also reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking through the nation’s airports, seaports, and land borders.