NDLEA Secures Conviction, $6m Fine Against 11 Indian Sailors, Vessel Over 31.5kg Cocaine Trafficking
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the conviction of 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, as well as a US$6 million fine imposed by a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The Master of the vessel, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, and 10 other crew members, namely 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, were arraigned on a two-count charge in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026 before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
This comes barely six months after their arrest by operatives of the NDLEA for importing 31.5 kilograms of cocaine from the Marshall Islands into Nigeria through the Apapa Seaport in Lagos.
According to the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency took the Indian crew members and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, into custody following the discovery of 31.5 kilograms of cocaine in Hatch 3 of the ship by NDLEA operatives at the GDNL Terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026.
After months of court proceedings, the trial judge, on Thursday, June 11, 2026, delivered his ruling on the plea bargain terms filed by the prosecution and defence in the case. Consequently, all 12 defendants were convicted under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and sentenced to pay ₦100,000 each, being the prescribed penalty for the offence under the Act.
In addition, the first defendant, the vessel, was ordered to pay restitution to the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the sum of US$5.3 million or its equivalent in naira.
The three principal officers of the vessel, who are the second, third, and fourth defendants — Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman were also ordered to pay restitution to the Federal Government in the sum of US$100,000 each, while the other crew members, the fifth to twelfth defendants, are to pay restitution of US$50,000 each.
Reacting to the landmark judgment, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), noted that the conviction of the vessel and its crew members sends a resounding message to every drug trafficking network around the world that “Nigeria is no longer a safe corridor for cocaine or any other illicit substance.”
Marwa stated that the 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,” he said.
Marwa stressed that the NDLEA would not relent, irrespective of the means of transportation — air, land, or sea — or whether the trafficker is a Nigerian or a foreign national.
“If you attempt to use our waters as a narcotics highway, you will face the full weight of Nigerian law. Our courts have spoken, and we will continue to give them reason to speak. The war against drug trafficking is one we are winning and we intend to keep it that way,” he added.
He also commended officers of the Apapa Strategic Command for their vigilance in identifying the cocaine consignment concealed deep within the cargo of a massive commodity vessel.
He further expressed appreciation to the Agency’s Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for its diligence in prosecuting the case.
