National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has applauded the conviction of 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, for cocaine trafficking.
It said the judgement was a strong warning to international drug cartels that Nigeria is no longer a safe transit route for illicit drugs.
Reacting to the judgment, NDLEA chairman and chief executive officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), said the conviction sends a clear message to drug trafficking syndicates worldwide.
“This judgment is the third of its kind in recent times, following the convictions of foreign nationals and vessels on similar charges. Let it be known that these are not coincidences; they are the direct result of deliberate, intelligence-led operations by our officers who remain vigilant at every port of entry,” Marwa said.
The judgment was delivered yesterday by Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke, of the Federal High Court in Lagos, barely six months after operatives of the NDLEA intercepted 31.5 kilogrammes of cocaine aboard the vessel at the Apapa Sea Port in Lagos.
The vessel and its crew were arrested following the discovery of the cocaine concealed in Hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, on January 2, 2026. Investigations revealed that the vessel had arrived in Nigeria from the Marshall Islands carrying the illicit consignment.
The convicted crew members include the vessel’s master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside Bharati Manoj Kumar, Nevage Sandesh Suresh, Pandey Prashant, Nuttu Anand, Akash Babu, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, Melethil Insaf Rahman, Barla Chantanya Krishna, Prabhasukhan Singu and Jai Parkash.
The defendants were arraigned before the court on a two-count charge in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.
Delivering judgment on plea bargain agreements entered into by both the prosecution and defence, Justice Aneke convicted all the 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act.
As part of the ruling, each defendant was ordered to pay a fine of N100,000. In addition, the vessel, which was listed as the first defendant, was ordered to pay restitution of $5.3 million to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court further directed three principal officers of the vessel—Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad and Melethil Insaf Rahman—to pay restitution of $100,000 each to the federal government.
The remaining crew members were ordered to pay $50,000 each as restitution. The cumulative financial penalty imposed on the vessel and crew amounts to approximately $6 million.
