Source: Africa Publicity
A Federal High Court in Lagos has convicted 11 Indian sailors and their merchant vessel, MV Aruna Hulya, over cocaine trafficking and imposed fines totaling six million US dollars.
The convictions and fines come barely six months after their arrest by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The Indian crew members and the vessel were arrested after NDLEA operatives discovered 31.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in hatch 3 of the ship at the GDNL terminal, Apapa Port, Lagos, on Friday, January 2, 2026. The vessel had arrived in Nigeria from the Marshall Islands.
The ship’s Master, Sharma Shashi Bhushan, alongside 10 other crew members — 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 before Justice Joseph Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on a two-count charge in suit number FHC/L/56C/2026.
After several months of court proceedings, Justice Aneke delivered judgment on Thursday, June 11, following plea bargain agreements submitted by both the prosecution and defence.
The court convicted all 12 defendants under Section 25 of the NDLEA Act and ordered each to pay a fine of N100,000, being the statutory penalty for the offence.
In addition, the vessel, listed as the first defendant, was ordered to pay restitution of 5.3 million US dollars, or its equivalent in naira, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The court also directed the three principal officers of the vessel — Sharma Shashi Bhushan, Nilesh Mukuno Bhalerad, and Melethil Insaf Rahman — to each pay restitution of 100,000 US dollars to the Federal Government.
The remaining crew members, listed as the 5th to 12th defendants, were each ordered to pay restitution of 50,000 US dollars.
