NDLEA Strikes Hard As Foreign Crew Members Go Down Over Multi-Million-Dollar Cocaine Plot

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

The judgment comes less than six months after operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) intercepted the vessel and arrested its crew following the discovery of the illicit consignment.

In addition to the conviction, the court imposed fines and ordered the defendants to pay a combined restitution of approximately $6 million to the Federal Government.

NDLEA operatives uncovered the cocaine on January 2, 2026, concealed in Hatch 3 of the vessel while it was docked at the GDNL Terminal in Apapa, Lagos. The ship had reportedly arrived from the Marshall Islands carrying the illegal substance.

Following the seizure, the agency detained the vessel and its crew, including the ship’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and ten other Indian nationals.

The defendants were subsequently arraigned before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos on a two-count charge under suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.

After several months of legal proceedings, the court delivered its verdict on Thursday, June 11, 2026, based on a plea bargain agreement reached between the prosecution and defence.

Justice Aneke convicted all 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and ordered each to pay a statutory fine of ₦100,000.

The court also directed the vessel, listed as the first defendant, to pay restitution of $5.3 million or its naira equivalent to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Additionally, three senior officers of the vessel — Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman — were ordered to pay $100,000 each as restitution.

The remaining crew members were directed to pay $50,000 each to the Federal Government.

Reacting to the ruling, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the judgment as a strong warning to international drug trafficking networks.

In a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Marwa said the conviction demonstrated Nigeria’s determination to prevent its ports and territorial waters from being used as channels for narcotics trafficking.

According to him, the conviction of both the vessel and its crew sends a clear message that Nigeria will no longer serve as a transit route for cocaine and other illicit substances.

Marwa noted that the case represents the third recent conviction involving foreign nationals and vessels linked to drug trafficking, attributing the success to intelligence-driven operations by NDLEA officers.

“This judgment is another testament to our commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks and prosecute offenders, regardless of nationality,” he said.

The NDLEA boss reaffirmed the agency’s resolve to pursue traffickers operating through air, land, and sea routes, warning that anyone attempting to use Nigeria as a narcotics corridor would face the full force of the law.

He also commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command for detecting the concealed cocaine shipment and praised the agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for successfully securing the convictions.

Marwa added that the NDLEA would continue strengthening intelligence-led surveillance and enforcement operations at seaports, airports, and land borders to combat illicit drug trafficking across the country.